2015: Edition 4

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

14 April 2015

VOLUME 74: EDITION 4

varsitynewspaper.co.za

@varsitynews

The Fall of Rhodes, the Rise of Azania

varsitynewspaper

IN THIS ISSUE

Image: Morema Moloisi

Parusha Naidoo & Aisha Abdool Karim, research by Yogi Shoba & Robyn Ausmeier n Thursday, April 9th, the statue of Cecil John Rhodes was removed from UCT’s upper campus. The removal coincided with the same date a month ago that UCT student, Chumani Maxwele, protested at the statue holding a board that read “Exhibit White Arrogance @ UCT”.

The demonstration went on to gain momentum with an open dialogue taking place on Jammie Plaza on March 12th, an Open Assembly on March 25th and various other dialogues initiated both on and off campus.

The formation of the Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) movement was sparked by these events and on March 20th, a march was led by UCT students, workers and academic staff to Bremner Building – which the students have unofficially renamed Azania House. The march subsequently culminated in the occupation of Azania House in accordance with a prior written agreement of UCT management.

O

The Statue Falls Senate met at the end of March, where members voted on the recommendation that the statue be removed permanently; with 181 members voting in favour, one against and three abstentions.

Thereafter the final decision on

the fate of the statue was made by Council at a special sitting held on Wednesday, April 8th at Allan Cormack House.

The Council meeting was suspended after students holding demonstrations outside demanded entry into the meeting, as the closed meeting went over the stipulated time and a decision had yet to be announced. Students entered the space citing that decisions affecting them should be made in their presence. After the initial commotion, the meeting resumed once the majority of the students left the sitting.

181 members voting in favour, one againt and three abstentions After the result of the meeting – to remove the statue – was announced, chairperson of Council, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, noted that the commitment and determination of students informed the final decision. In a press statement Vice-chancellor Max Price said that the behaviour of students at the meeting was unacceptable as it “challenged the authority of Council”. It was further noted that action would be taken against the students involved.

Heritage Western Cape (HWC) granted UCT a temporary permit to remove the statue and take it to an undisclosed location due to

concerns that the statue would be vandalised regardless of the final decision made by Council.

commitment and determination of students informed the final decision A permit for the permanent removal of the statue will be considered once an application has been submitted. The application process requires the consideration of public opinion and consultation with anyone invested in the statue.

While the past month has seen dialogue and encouragement of the UCT community to contribute their views on the statue, the activities thus far are seen as incomplete as all stakeholders have not been consulted.

HWC acting chief executive officer Hannetjie du Preez said that “A recommendation regarding the future of the statue will be submitted to HWC within 90 days”. This is pending a heritage assessment by HWC. The Future of RMF Before the statue was removed on Thursday, April 9th, there was a mass meeting held by the RMF movement. Beginning as a solidarity movement, RMF has focused on issues of institutional racism, curriculum changes, academic staff and workers’ rights at UCT. The mass meeting sought to further consolidate

this commitment while being at the forefront of challenging intersectional problems.

A student representative from RMF, commenting before the removal of the statue, stated “The pain of a single black student and the pain of millions of black South Africans has now culminated into the movement known as Rhodes Must Fall”.

During her address at the mass meeting, Sivu Siwisa, the founder of alternative LGBTI pride movement Ikasi Pride stated, “The statue falling does not mean the statue just falls. It represents a race issue, a gender issue, a heteronormative issue, a patriarchy issue.” She noted that the fall of Rhodes meant that these issues were being addressed.

Study Guide Debacle

PAGE 2

Nkandla’s Birthday

PAGE 6

Emoticons

CENTRE

Powdered Alcohol

PAGE 10

Runner’s Special

PAGE 14

First Time at Yoga

PAGE 15

“It represents a race issue, a gender issue, a heteronormative issue, a patriarchy issue.”

Speaking on the inclusivity of the movement, SRC President Ramabina Mahapa commented, “We cannot allow any form of oppression in this issue.” Mahapa also noted that the statue’s removal would not change the way black students feel on campus, given the psychological effects that result in the “obscuring of our memory and identity”.

continued from page 1

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

2

News

v74 e4 – 14 april 2015

Complications over study guide distribution News Bites Parusha Naidoo Mugabe visiting SA

South Africa - Zimbabwean Mugabe, Robert President accompanied by his wife Grace, arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday, April 8th. The twoday visit, the first in 21 years, is said to focus mainly on bilateral relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe as well as to strengthen trade and economic dealings. Mugabe’s spokesperson has refuted claims that the visit is in anticipation of the president’s retirement from office.

- The Mail & Guardian

Rwandan genocide documents declassified

Rwanda - Documents connected to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide will be declassified by President Francois Hollande and will be available to researchers and historians upon request. This was done in a bid to reveal information and provide answers on the relations between France and Rwanda during the genocide. The documents include minutes from ministerial and defence meetings and diplomatic papers.

- Reuters

Reality TV for SA’s wealthy

Tanya Magaisa his year a student sold a comprehensive study guide to a large group of students in the Humanities Introduction to Politics course (POL1004F), outside Beattie Lecture Theatre, for R80.

The guide contained summarised notes, essay questions and answers and exam preparation essays, all of which had been compiled by the aforementioned student who had taken the course the previous year.

During the second week of first semester, a mass e-mail was sent out to all students taking the POL1004F course informing them that a student who had received one of the highest marks for that subject the previous year was selling a study guide to help them with the difficult course material. The syllabus for the course has consisted of the same material for five years, with the notes, weekly essay questions and final exam question remaining unchanged.

Given the structure of the course, an unusually large incidence of plagiarism was noted this year as students began copying directly from the answers in the distributed study guide. As per UCT’s protocol on plagiarism, students whose essays

T

were found to contain plagiarism received a zero for their submission.

Once the cause for the increase in plagiarism was discovered, the lecturer announced that he was changing the entire curriculum and that he had also laid charges of plagiarism against the student who had sold the study guide.

When asked about the situation, students who had purchased the notes said that they consulted with their tutors beforehand on whether or not it would be considered plagiarism to purchase the guide, but they received mixed responses.

Some tutors said there was nothing wrong with getting or purchasing notes from previous students and that it was common practice within the university, stating that it would not be a problem as long as the students refrained from plagiarising the actual notes. Other tutors were against the idea of buying the notes, stating that it would compromise the education of the individuals and students would eventually use these notes as a benchmark for how an essay should be written.

One student, who wished to remain unnamed, said that she felt it was silly that the students had plagiarised the work from the study guide because the lecturer is very

Image: Hyder Lallmanode

strict on the issue of plagiarism, taking away 10% from an essay for a misplaced comma in referencing.

Another student, who also requested to be kept anonymous, stated that pressing charges on the student for selling notes was blowing things out of proportion because it was not the student’s fault that others had plagiarised her work and she was only trying to be helpful.

The student who was charged for distributing the study guide faced no disciplinary action after having explained to the department their intention for compiling and distributing the study guide.

Although the university takes a hardline approach against plagiarism,

there are no rules at UCT pertaining to the distribution of personal notes to students, and it is a common occurrence across all courses.

There is a strict guideline given by the university on what constitutes plagiarism, and the consequences for any student found guilty of plagiarism are carefully outlined to the students from a first year level. Students who plagiarise work do not receive any marks for their submission and the cases are referred to the Vice-Chancellor for possible disciplinary action.

Plagiarism is grounds for suspension or expulsion, and the incident is also recorded on the student’s academic record.

UCT Plus Enhanced Curriculum Award

South Africa - DSTV’s Vuzu AMP channel will be launching a reality television show, entitled “Rich Kids”, which is set to air on Thursday, April 16th at 7pm. The show will be centred on South teenagers wealthiest Africa’s and young adults however, the identities of most of the show’s cast members are yet to be revealed.

The show will be a 10-part series on how young and wealthy South Africans spend their time and money.

- The Citizen

SA Teenager stopped from joining IS

South Africa – A teenage girl from Cape Town was removed by authorities from a plane bound for Johannesburg on Sunday, April 5th. Minisiter of State Security David Mahlobo later confirmed that the girl had admitted that she was en route to meet an Islamic State (IS) recruiter. Evidence has been found on the teenager’s social media platforms that indicated communication with the terrorist organisation.

- EWN/IOL News

Retirement of the Mac

South Africa – Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj is set to retire at the end of April, as he turns 80 years old. Maharaj was selected as a special adviser and spin doctor in 2011, and previously held the position of Cabinet Minister in South Africa’s first democratic administration. Mr Harold Moloka, Deputy DirectorGeneral in the Government Communication and Information System, will temporarily assume the position of spokeperson beginning in May. - News24.com

Robyn Ausmeier UCT has commenced with a program to award and recognise students for the extra-curricular activities they are involved in during the university year. The Enhanced Curriculum Award, which is co-ordinated by Careers Services, will be given to a select group of individuals who meet the requirements and have shown a particular commitment to further learning and skills development.

The program is currently in a pilot phase and the process will be assessed at the end of the year to decide how to develop and improve the award for the future.

Keenan Hendrickse, a program administrator for the initiative, commented that the introduction of this award is necessary as it enables students to get the recognition they deserve for their involvement in the university, and will benefit them when seeking future employment.

According to Hendrickse, when students graduate everyone is generally at a level playing field,

and in order to find a good job it is therefore necessary for an individual to have developed skills which give them the edge over others. The Enhanced Curriculum Award will therefore provide students with a way in which to authenticate their commitment to service learning, and a chance to develop their social and employment profile.

The selection process for the award involves different components. For the first part, the student must be actively involved in a society or organisation and is required to dedicate at least 60 hours of service during the time period from January to August.

This service includes various forms of involvement in their particular establishment, such as meetings and workshops.

The next component is comprised of a reflective process, where students assess and record what they have learnt through their participation in extra-curricular activities. Every applicant eligible for selection will be assigned a staff assessor, from various departments in the university, to evaluate the reflective pieces and to advise students on how

to suitably articulate themselves.

Hendrickse asserts that there are no right answers for these reflections, and the process is intended to help students record the skills they have developed in a manner that would be appropriate for presentation to employers.

There are plans for the award to be reflected on the student’s transcript, although this needs to go to Senate for final approval on November 20th. This year the selected students will be given a Vice-Chancellor’s award at a special awards ceremony.

Since the program is still in a pilot phase, there will be a smaller and more exclusive group for 2015, and the award has been restricted to those belonging to societies and development agencies. However, the program co-ordinators aim to significantly expand this group in following years and to open the award to applicants involved in organisations both on and off campus.

The introduction of an Enhanced Curriculum Award at UCT was first proposed by the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) in 2007.

After discussions with different

departments, in 2011 it was taken to Senate where the proposal was rejected due to concerns over the implementation and grounds for judgement of the award. One of the major issues raised regarding the award was how to verify that people are actually making the contribution and performing the activities which they claim to have done. The idea was shelved following Senate’s decision, until it was revisited in 2013 by the SRC and Development Agency Sub-council.

At the end of 2014 the project planning properly took off, after a working group was formed to evaluate and redesign the award process. This group included the DSA, development agencies, the SRC and Career Services. After submitting a proposal for funding, the Department for Higher Education and Training agreed to set aside money for the development of the Enhanced Curriculum Award.

Thereafter the pilot project was confirmed for 2015.

The deadline for applications this year was March 20th, and the final notification of award status will be given on November 20th.

continued from page 1 In a statement released by the SRC following Council’s decision, it was said that they would “be focusing more on other issues that concern the student population”. This came after a month of active participation and endorsement of RMF by the SRC. An announcement was also made that the SRC would end its official occupation of Azania House, which took effect immediately after the statue was removed. Due to their association with management, as the link between the students and the administration, the SRC reiterated that they have no official ties to the movement.

In addition, RMF has made it clear that the movement is not aligned with any political parties nor does it serve to provide a platform for the advocating of political party agendas.

their commitment to transformation will continue RMF responded to the statue’s removal with an official statement saying, “The removal of the statue by management is not something we should be grateful for. Management has undermined and antagonised us throughout this process… they have made it clear that they think that black pain is debatable.”

The movement has raised the concern that supposed ideals of transformation are disguised through superficial reforms that amount to very little or no change.

Elaborating on this, a statement was released by RMF emphasising that “the university’s processes and language naturalises that colonial system” and that this can only be rectified through “radical decolonisation of this institution”.

RMF has emphasised that their commitment to transformation will continue beyond the removal of the statue, with the launching of campaigns centred on financial and academic exclusion of black students as well as the outsourcing of workers which, has for a long time been contested.

The Rise of Azania House The continued occupation of Azania House, following the removal of statue, has come under dispute and is a point of contention between the movement and management.

The occupation of Azania House has been ongoing since March 20th, and has since evolved into a space for debate and learning, with students continuing to attend lectures and tutorials as well as forming study groups to assist each other with academics.

The occupation has provided a space for students, academics, staff and other stakeholders to interact through critical dialogue and documentaries as well as hosting a number of lectures, organised by the RMF education subcommittee.

Additionally, students from other universities as well as members of outside organisations have visited Azania House to engage in discussions.

During the vacation period, representatives from WITS, UWC, UKZN and Rhodes University visited

Azania House to discuss institutional racism and transformation issues.

Furthermore, a number of students and staff from international universities, including Columbia University, Oxford University and Harvard University have expressed their support for the movement.

In an effort to solidify a national movement for transformation, an Annual General Meeting will be held at the end of the month, where all student movements can formulate a plan for moving forward.

In their statement on the statue’s removal, the RMF asserted “…let it be known that Azania House is ours, and we will not leave.” The call for continued occupation has been contested with an eviction notice being served by the UCT Registrar to everyone occupying the building without permission.

The eviction notice explains that prior action against occupants had not taken place in a bid to ensure that consultations and processes surrounding the removal of the statue could take place. Since these processes have been completed management has withdrawn their previous consent to occupants.

ideals of transformation are disguised through superficial reforms In response to this, RMF has stated that their occupation was not solely centred on the condition of the removal of the statue, which was only one of their stipulated objectives. It was also stated that

v74 e4 - 14 april 2015

“…with the exception of the notice of eviction, Management has made no tangible efforts to establish lines of direct communication with the movement in Mafeje”.

RMF has also dispelled claims that they have acted in an aggressive manner and declared that any acts of disruption were in protest toward the dismissive nature of UCT Management.

“If you come into this space you will hear about intellectual discussion, there’s never been any type of violence in this movement,” commented Mohammed Abdulla, a member of the RMF movement.

The eviction notice demanded that students and staff must vacate the building by 2pm on Friday, April 10th or they would face legal action. However, the students have remained in the building. The court hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 14th. At the time of going to print, students were still occupying the building.

RMF have indicated their willingness to terminate their current form of occupation, on the basis that certain conditions are met.

The first being that the university drop all charges, both internal and external, made against the students in Azania House. The second is the provision, by the University, of “a conducive and suitable space for the movement to continue with its work”. The primary objective of this condition is to establish a safe space where discussions and engagement on transformation issues can continue. The last condition is that students involved in the movement not be harassed or victimised for the role they played in the occupation.

3

The continued occupation of Azania House partly stems from management’s response and the narrative created through statements released by Price. According to Abdulla, management has “been using the statue itself as a scapegoat, an easy fix for the real issues of transformation, which they will not really talk about”. Due to the centred focus on the statue, there has been limited action taken to address other issues of transformation raised

by RMF.

students from other universities... have visited Azania House According to Abdulla, the provision of a space where anyone can come in and talk about issues of transformation would indicate that management is serious about engaging with these issues and listening to students.

“The Mafeje Room would be an ideal space because it has been a central meeting point for the movement so far, but also due its symbolic history,” commented Abdulla.

The notion of a student space stems from the links in the naming of the Mafeje room, which originates from a sit-in held by students in 1968 during which they spent months occupying the room. This was done in protest against the university’s decision to cave to government pressure and terminate the appointment of black academic, Archie Mafeje.

What you missed around the globe

Adam Kleinschmidt Buhair wins Presidential election

News

Nigerian

Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress, won the Nigerian general election, which began on March 28th, with over half the national vote. Buhari, who had previously been Head of State following a military coup 30 years ago, beat former President Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded the election on March 31st. Jonathon’s People’s Democratic Party has been in power since 1999 however, many citizens have lost faith in their ability to rule following corruption scandals and the increasing presence of Boko Haram in the area. Despite postponements and disruptions during the election by Boko Haram, the overall process went well, and fears of post-election violence were unfounded. Seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate – the two houses of Parliament – have yet to be declared, as elections for these positions are still underway.

Terrorist attack Kenyan University

on

Al-Shabaab, an offshoot organisation of Al-Qaeda, attacked Garissa University College on April 2nd, resulting in the deaths of 148 people and injuring at least 79 others. At least four gunmen held 700 students hostage and questioned their religion; killing those who were Chirstian. The majority of the victims were students, with two police officers, one solider, and two watchmen also among those killed during the 13 hour attack.

The motivation for the attack is also centred on the ongoing conflict in Somalia and Kenya’s involvement in fighting Al-Shabaab in the region. A three day mourning period for the victims was announced by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta following the attack.

Nuclear deal discussions between Iran and 6 nations Iran is currently in talks for a nuclear deal with Germany, Russia,

Image: Mari Mombers China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

However, President Hassan Rouhani said, on April 9th, that a final agreement will only be reached once economic sanctions against Iran have been lifted. As part of ongoing negotiations on the nuclear energy provision, a preliminary deal was made during the previous week for Iran to scale back Tehran’s nuclear programme, provided economic sanctions were lowered. The final agreement was set to be made on

1st Floor, Atlas Building 18 Main Road, RONDEBOSCH PH: 021-685 5927 Cell: 079 183 9336 1st Floor, St Peter’s Square mydentist@dentistonmain.co.za

www.dentistonmain.co.za

GENERAL DENTISTRY MEDICAL AID ACCEPTED

Main Road, OBSERVATORY PH: 021-448 8449

June 30th, but Iran will extend this deadline if its demands are not met.

Germanwings Flight crashes in the French Alps

9525

Germanwings Flight 9525, an Airbus A320-200, crashed into the French Alps north of Nice, while en route to Düsseldorf from Barcelona, on March 24th, killing all 150 passengers on board. Flight recording instruments recovered by crash investigators indicate that the crash was caused by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubnitz, who was known to have suicidal tendencies. According to reports released by the European Aviation Safety Agency, Lubnitz locked out the other flight staff and purposefully reduced the altitude of the plane before allowing it to slam into the mountain. Lufthansa, the parent company, has joined other airlines and air monitoring agencies in addressing their selection and

review processes.

Large Hadron resumes operations

Collider

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest particle collider, situated beneath the FrancoSwiss border near Geneva resumed operations, following a two year shut down, on April 5th. The resart was delayed by problems encountered with the machine however, the final tests were completed on March 31st, by scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The LHC was created in order to provide scientists with a better understanding of how the universe evolved following the “Big Bang”. The LHC enabled physicists to locate the previously-unseen Higgs boson particle, and scientists now hope it can be used to locate “dark matter”, unseen matter that accounts for most of the matter in the universe.

4

Editorial

v74 e2 - 10 March 2015

2015 Collective editor-in-chief Parusha Naidoo

Editorial

editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za

deputy Editor Jena Ascough

editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za

managing Editor Gape Masole

managingeditor@varsitynewspaper. co.za

Copy Editor Courtney Hope

copyed@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Online editor Shannon Krausey

online@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Online content editor Ali Findlay

online@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Social Media Correspondent Khanya Ntsulumbana

socialmedia@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Videographers Amy-Lee Braaf, Sarah Summers & Amy Rinquest

So are there like real jobs for people that study what you study?”

It’s the inevitable question posed to us humanities kids and generally leaves many us wondering what terrible act we’ve committed to offend the person posing the question to us. In the beginning I felt apologetic about my choice of study that seemed to give

“

news Aisha Abdool Karim & Robyn Ausmeier

opinions Sandisiwe Shoba & Adam Kleinschmidt

opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za

features Busang Senne & Anna Insam

features@varsitynewspaper.co.za

sports@varsitynewspaper.co.za

centrespread Michaela Findeis

Editor-in-chief

Are We Students or Sheep? my peers a splitting migraine. Over time I’ve become less apologetic and more annoyed that I am prompted by peers to justify my degree.

The notion of a Humanities education is to go further than merely creating graduates that hold professional qualifications.

However, this seemingly noble goal faces constant assault from both students and staff at universities. Why spend three to four years of time and funding studying religion or history when you can just Google it, right?

There’s the general shaking of heads when someone tries to defend liberal arts education with a condescending “Well it’s all about supply and demand and right now you are not in demand.”

As a caveat, don’t use market forces to justify why humanities degrees are not valued. After majoring in economics, I think it’s fair to say that homo economicus does not have all the answers.

Without embarking on the clichéd “Humanities kids also deserve a

chance” soliloquy, the real question is something you may have mulled over in the late hours of an all-nighter when the disillusionment creeps in and you ask yourself “What’s the point of all of this?”

Evidently there is no consensus on what the point of attending university is, beyond maybe getting yourself a corner office or the significant guarantee that you will be able to support your family and generations to come. In this sense we are conditioned to choose a vocational degree that provides the assurance of a job and a white picket fence at the end of our university term.

The corporate outlook is that universities need to display an ability to generate incomes directly and insure the employment of students, or their purpose is rendered obsolete.

Furthermore, universities need to generate their own income as a means to indicate their measured worth and to justify getting funding from donors, companies and government.

Life is Like a Box of Hair Dye...

news@varsitynewspaper.co.za

sportS Dean Horwitz & Stephanus van Zijl

Parusha Naidoo

Jena Ascough Deputy Editor

Sometimes you can do everything right – check the ammonia content, compare your current colour to the examples on the side of the box, even do the dreaded strand test of cutting a piece of your hair and dying that first – but you still never really know what you’re going to get.

Sometimes the stars are aligned and everything actually works out according to plan – you end up with that perfect shade of cinnamonauburn that warms your skin tone and makes your eyes pop – and everyone stops and stares at the awesomeness exuding out of you.

And sometimes it goes terribly, terribly wrong. Instead of gorgeous auburn you get flaming orange. Like blinds-people-when-it-reflects-inthe-sun orange. Now you have to make a decision: you can go emoblack to cover the colour, wear a beanie for the rest of your life, or shave your head.

But most of the time you land up somewhere in between these two, where it’s not a total disaster, but you were expecting a little bit better.

And, despite the compliments you’re getting for your new ‘do, you feel a little disappointed.

In this approach there has been a colonisation of universities by a corporate thinking, with universities merely representing a factory assembly line that churns out robot sheep to graze the fields of office cubicles.

William Deresiewicz, a former Yale professor, paints the picture of university students merely being sheep who have been trained to abide by a schooling system which stimulates a skewed notion of success. Deresiewicz also purports that by disregarding the humanities, sheep fail to obtain a genuine university education.

This comes from the idea that a university education goes beyond job security and its true value is seen when it challenges sheep to question the preconceived notions they have adopted from their social circles. A sheep becomes a university student when they replace their biases and prejudices with self-reflective and critical thought.

So would you like to walk out of university as a creative and critical thinker or as a sheep?

So, coming into the homestretch of the first semester, be gentle with yourself. Maybe you’ve studied your hardest for your three tests this week and only scrape a pass. That’s okay. As long as you’ve followed the instructions on the box, done the strand test and waited the recommended time for the dye to take, no one can say you should have done more.

This is a stressful time in the semester for everyone. Just remember, even if you think you’ve ruined your luscious locks, 1) it’s never the end of the world, 2) you always have another option, and 3) it’s usually not really as bad as you think.

Newsgathering

centrespread@varsitynewspaper. co.za

Tuesday April 14th, 1pm – 1.50pm Venue: John Day Zoology LT 3 Check Out Twitter and facebook for more information

images Amina Ebrahim & Morema Moloisi

images@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Design Mari Mombers

design@varsitynewspaper.co.za

erratum

web Julius Stopforth & Bayanda Gumbi

Volume 74. edition 3: Please accept our apologies for the following error:

web@varsitynewspaper.co.za

App Developer Nikhil Gilbert Finance & Ads manager Thamsanqa Moyo & Lauren Van Haught

finance@varsitynewspaper.co.za ads@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Marketing Manager Elveena Yessoo

marketing@varsitynewspaper.co.za

operations manager Theona Geduld

operations@varsitynewspaper.co.za

human resources Saadiq Samodien & Kauthar Abrahams

hr@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Telephone: 021-650 3543 Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union

Courtney Hope Copy Editor

Gape Masole

Managing Editor

On Campus this week

Rural Support Network Event: Run For Rural Date & Time: May 1st at 8am (sign-ups on the day from 7.15am) Venue: Faculty of Health Sciences, Anzio Road, Observatory (run starts and ends here).

Contact: Robert Cloete (Chairman) at rsn.uct@gmail.com, cloete@gmail.com or 0825590368 Nalisu Mazubane (Head of Run For Rural) at nalisu.mazubane07@ gmail.com or 0796557447 Contributors Sub-Editors Colin Besaans, Rebecca Houliston, Lebogang Maragelo & Elizabeth Visser

Page 4: Security in UCT Residences We received some misinformation from the SRC with regards to Liesbeeck Gardens Residence. While we were informed that this residence does not have a tuck shop, we consequently received the following rectification: “Liesbeeck Gardens, has an operating CAFE which operates (from 4pm – midnight weekdays, and midday – midnight weekends). The cafe has a seating area, a kitchen and communal bathroom room. The LBG Executive Committe (House Committee) has made sure that students can also utilise the cafe as a hotspot with unlimited strong signal WiFi, and are in processes of installing a television spot for those who’d rather unwind and treat their visitors to beverages and foods served in the cafe. Lower Liesbeeck road (just near the residence and the Liesbeeck river) has shops, clubs, a garage, restaurants and nice pizzerias which are at walking distance.”

Thank you to Xolane Marman, Manager of the Liesbeeck Cafe, for bringing this to our attention.

Opinions White Privilege? But, I’m Not a Racist!

Image: Morema Moloisi

Adam Buch A seemingly (alarmingly) common response to the issues of institutional racism and white privilege is the inevitable ‘white defence’: “but, I’m not a racist!”, or something to that effect.

This is not a defence – there should be no defence in the first place.

Now that the Rhodes statue has been removed, we must begin our preparing for the immense work that still needs to be done. Beyond symbols and names, we look to discourses, institutions and structures. The bigger picture. This entails engaging with the broader concerns regarding systematic and institutional racialism (and, unfortunately, racism). Enter white privilege.

White privilege as a concept and experience – and, in some instances, a judgement – is one that is met with fear and disengagement. As many of you reading this will have heard, the “but, I’m not a racist” defence has become a common part of the dialogue – if you can call it that.

I am a white, heterosexual male and, in many instances, I have been considered 'the enemy'. Now, that title is an issue for me, but if someone calls me out on being privileged as a white man, I accept it. I do not want it. I do not support it. I wish I could change it.

But I am part of white privilege. As are all white South Africans.

In my engagements on campus surrounding the issues of symbolism, heritage and cultural monopolies, it has come to light that white privilege has been paralleled with racism towards black South Africans. This is not completely the case. Those who consider themselves non-racist are not part of the discourse but fail to understand that being a South African and understanding its historical narrative means that one is already part

The term, ‘coconut’ has been used to accuse a person of betraying their race or culture, by implying that they resemble a coconut: brown on the outside and white on the inside.

Kopano Matlwa, a young, up-andcoming female writer, wrote a novel entitled Coconut, which perfectly illustrates what it means to be a coconut, particularly exploring how in post-apartheid South Africa the gains of freedom and privilege were at the expense of much of the black youth’s identity.

The term ‘coconut’ bears with it feelings of alienation, discrimination and even embarrassment. In fact, even though it is usually black people calling other black people ‘coconuts’, many go as far as to argue that the label is a form of racial discrimination.

Is this argument valid?

Discrimination is defined as “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex”. That said, I think that labelling someone a ‘coconut’ is indeed a form of racial discrimination, because by calling someone a coconut, you are judging – and criticising – the core of that person’s cultural identity.

Many people contribute to this

5

Articulate

w

Yogi Shoba

Opinions Editor

Azania House

of the racial discourses in this country.

When black South Africans are exposed to institutional racism, then we, as white South Africans, need to recognise our part in this discourse and our white privilege. There cannot be institutional racism without institutional privilege. There cannot be disadvantage without advantage somewhere else.

Engage in this discourse and start a dialogue.

White South Africans should not take the suggestion of white privilege as an attack. It is an observation and an experience that requires engagement and understanding. This is addressed to those white South Africans that use the “but, I'm not a racist” defence. You do not have to agree with the exclusivity of privilege or consider superiority to be privileged. These structures exist and we, as South Africans, are part of them.

Rather than defending yourself

against the idea of racism, open up to the structures and institutions in place, independent of yourself. Listen. Talk.

Engage in this discourse and start a dialogue. Be part of the transformation that this institution (The University of Cape Town) and South Africa, at large, so desperately needs.

Personally, I revel in the opportunity to break free of white privilege and the opportunity to engage with the abhorrent experiences of those who are disenfranchised by institutional racism. Being a South African – white or black – means that you are part of racial discourse. Only by accepting this and engaging can we begin to reconcile and, hopefully, start the transformation that this country has not seen enough of in the past 21 years of democracy.

Like the removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue, acknowledging and, indeed, accepting white privilege is a step in the right direction. Ending the glorification of white liberalism and the national apathy towards genuine, meaningful and lasting transformation begins with our engagement in the discourses around us, not hiding from them.

On Coconut (Not the Fruit) Zanele Kabane

v74 e4–14 april 2015

problem by boxing cultures and then judging individuals who do not fit into that box. It is so crucial to understand that culture is dynamic and fluid, so in judging someone for not being ‘black enough’, you are judging their individual identity, which is discriminatory.

‘coconut’ bears with it feelings of alienation, discrimination and even embarrassment Furthermore, your judgement of the person is based on stereotypes.

Right here at UCT, some of the stereotypical characteristics of a the female ‘coconut’ include: having a ‘white’ accent and speaking English more fluently than ‘vernac’; having a weave instead of your natural hair; enjoying the Claremont club scene; preferring rock and indie music over South African house or hip hop music; having many white friends; having attended a model C or private school and pretty much behaving in any way that defies stereotypical ‘blackness’.

If you fit any of these stereotypes, people often immediately assume that you think you are better than other black people or even that you

don’t want to be a black person.

The prejudice which accompanies this results in the ‘coconut’s’ black identity being stripped away from them, which again, is utterly discriminatory.

The third, and perhaps most crucial issue regarding ‘coconuts’, is that of identity. When they, or rather we (because I too have been called a ‘coconut’ all my life), are around black people, we are not ‘black enough’, yet around white people, we are not ‘white enough’ either. Where do we belong? We become part of a ‘grey area’ and our identity – the crux of who we are – becomes blurred.

Consequently, on top of being judged and discriminated against, we have to deal with this intense identity crisis.

Discrimination, whether it is against class, race or culture, is something that people across the globe need to educate themselves about, because at one point, every single person has been either a victim or an assailant.

The prejudice against ‘coconuts’, particularly, says a lot about modern-day racial discrimination, highlighting the heart-breaking fact that even in a country such as South Africa, which is so rich in different cultures, we still struggle to accept people for who they are.

e stood on the steps, afraid to enter. A white banner with “Rhodes Must Fall” written in black flittered overhead. The entrance of the building was coloured with the new identifier “Azania House”.

A rope dangling from the balcony above us looked like a hanging noose ready for execution. My colleague and I stood on the steps afraid to enter.

Our mission: to ‘infiltrate’ and get the true story of this enigmatic space for VARSITY. We felt like outsiders lumped under the ‘Media’ banner. We were diverted again and again: “Come back at 4pm for the official statement”, “Speak to the media sub-committee” and “We’re not giving any comment”.

We eventually bagged our interview, but this was only one marker of my personal alienation from the #RhodesMustFall movement. As a student journalist objectivity is pertinent. I remember Chumani Maxwele misinterpreting my objective silence during an interview conducted by our news team, as some minor symbol of black pain. I was silent the entire interview, except for the few words of greeting and ‘thanks’ I had uttered – he obviously hadn’t heard my accent.

On the steps of Azania House another black girl asked me (with confusion) why I had never set foot in the Azania space. I replied openly.

Firstly, I consciously wanted to view the events with a journalistic eye; hence entering Azania House would inadvertently affiliate me with the movement. Secondly, it was pointed out to me while mining student comments on whether Rhodes must fall, that due to my accent (a marker of privilege) I could not and would not understand the concept of black pain.

“You’re a coconut, so what do you know?” Well, yes, there are facets that I cannot comprehend. I have never lived in abject poverty, but as outlined in Zanele Kabane’s article below, being a ‘coconut’, thus

W

straddling two cultures, comes with its own difficulties.

I have what I call quasi-blackprivilege. Although I do not hold the full racial privilege of a white body; I have been socialised with the tools to navigate white privilege. The accent, the private school education, the economic stability even the near nuclear family structure seemed to me like markers of a betrayal of what the movement stood for – decolonisation. It felt like my body held too much colonial assimilation to float in the transformative waters of Azania House.

Thirdly, I had reservations about the movement itself. My disgust towards patriarchy dominated my perception. I sat in on an interview with a male and female forerunner of the movement and found myself angered by the condescension I witnessed. Each good point she made was followed by a ‘pat on the back’ statement which even she acknowledged as undermining. I cannot and will not affiliate myself with a patriarchal space having been chastised by members of my own family for not adhering to what has become my culture’s norm.

Though research quickly made understand that the statue was just a symbol for the fall of transcendent colonial structures, it was not obvious to me how this group of radical students planned to topple this; until we stepped into Azania House.

We stepped into an atmosphere of solidarity. There were powerful messages on the wall, paint bottles and paper on the floor and the hum of conversation – conversations which included accents just like mine. I was told this had been a space to grapple with black history and the black narrative. It had been a space to explore the notion of black identity and black pain as a non-homogeneous concept. It was explained that patriarchy was acknowledged as a detriment to the female voice but was not condoned in that space.

I realised that I had thrust my own preconceived notions on Azania, but had not taken the full initiative to verify them. I realised that I allowed them to see me as student journalist, not just as ‘student’. I used my job as a shield from engaging subjectively with the spirit of Azania House. I see now that ‘blackness’ automatically makes me a part of the movement, not as an active member but as one of the millions they are fighting for.

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

6

Opinions

v74 e4 – 14 april 2015

Happy Birthday, Nkandla!

Image: John A Forbes

Tumi Malatji arch marked the first anniversary of the release of the infamous Nkandla report by the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela.

One year later, and President Jacob Zuma is yet to address when and how he will repay the reported R246 million of taxpayers’ money spent to refurbish his homestead.

The duty of the Public Protector, set out by the Constitution, is to investigate any alleged or suspected improper action of a governmental figure or body. It furthermore empowers the Public Protector to then report on, and take appropriate remedial action against such conduct.

M

investigate any alleged or suspected improper action Thuli Madonsela discharged this duty of hers by releasing a report which found the president guilty of undue enrichment (for expenses tagged ‘non-security’ upgrades) which he now has to pay back, for he has benefited from “funds that could have been used somewhere else where there are service-delivery needs, poverty and unemployment”.

In summary, Madonsela’s report – which President Zuma has brushed off – found that the whole renovation project was riddled with issues stemming from the president’s violation of the Executive Ethic Code, by not being able to contain state spending and benefiting from it. The problems included bad management, which led to looting on site, a flawed tender process, which saw the family architect (against whom allegations have since been

made)taking over the whole project, and an increase in budget from R27 million to a staggering R246 million.

Opposition parties have refused to be complicit

The president’s blatant disregard for the independent institution of the Public Protector, mandated by the constitution, causes a threat to democracy. The EFF held the president to account during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by raising points of order to challenge this disregard of his for such independent institutions. This shows the importance of minority

parties in years to come, for they can hold a majority party accountable where Parliament will not. Prior to the SONA, the EFF released a statement in which it tasked itself this year with ensuring that the president pays back the money. The SONA was the first of many avenues the EFF is planning to utilise to fulfil this mandate.

Another challenge recently raised by the report is the Constitutional right of access to information. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, is willing to compromise this right to protect the president.

Mbete has suggested that parliament receive a sanitised version of the latest updates to the Nkandla report in order to protect presidential security. She maintains

that the report contains sensitive information which threatens the security of the president. While presidential security is essential, this could become an excuse to limit information, in order to hide abuses of power - such as the president manipulating state funds - from the South African public.

president’s blatant disregard for the independent institution Mbete then suggested that the matter be put to vote in the National Assembly - where the ANC hold the majority of the seats. However, opposition parties have refused to

be complicit in keeping information secret. Julius Malema, of the EFF, holds that there is no need for parliament to get involved when the report is one belonging to a separate branch of government, and to have parliament decide such an issue would constitute a violation of the separation of powers. Thus, the report is currently being held by the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko.

One year on, and the Nkandla report has suggested that the state of South Africa’s democracy seems to rest in opposition and minority parties such as the EFF who, in the interest of constitutionality and those who marked their names on the ballot box, are willing to hold the ANC - including the president and the independent Speaker of the National Parliament – to account.

Panic! In the World As We Know It

How we all lost our grip on a world we should have been watching Adam Kleinschmidt “It’s honestly like I just feel it happened to me. I know it was miles away, up there in Kenya, but I still felt tears in my eyes.

I’m a black, female student at a good university. How can I not be affected by this?”

[we] lost our ability to see what’s important

This string of statements stood out to me as I stood conversing with a good friend about the recent attack at Garissa University College, Northern Kenya. The purpose of this article is not to comment on the attack

or the overriding debate about Islamic militarism in East and North Africa. If you want that, go and consult the News section of this newspaper or another reputable source.

Instead, I’m taking on a path I’ve tackled many times before: how we, as a society of humans, have lost our ability to see what’s important. The often-heard line circulating among people is: “How does this affect me? Yeah, some people died, but that happens everywhere. Am I supposed to care about every massacre, every plane crash and every death that occurs in a world of seven billion people?”

Yes. Yes you are, in the case where terrorists send a plane into two skyscrapers, or where two brothers detonate bombs at a popular marathon, or where a woman is raped and killed by

her own family member. You are supposed to care no matter what the condition or case is, because whether you like it or not, this is your world.

do we really need more violence?

The attacks in Kenya have consequences that do in fact reach South Africa, and every single one of us. Aside from regional and international politics, the tangible effects of radical violence, retaliation and terrorism have been proven to be very destructive. What we see today as a massacre at a university could become a military incursion in the future. Next step: regional powers

are throwing resources at a vast war effort. In a continent marked by thriving warfare and conflict (alongside poverty, illness, corruption and inequality), do we really need more violence? The political, social, economic and religious divides – to name but a few – are as clear as day.

When faced with pictures of conflict in Syria, or the murder of journalists in Paris, so many people switch off and adopt the head-in-the-sand approach. What they fail to realise, however, is that by failing to observe and engage with the status quo, they are preventing the critical discourse that has prompted so much change in the past.

Consider a controversial issue like that of the Rhodes Statue.

Last week, a monument to a man hated by millions was removed after the concerted action by

active, informed and engaging individuals. The ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ movement has made a successful – and valuable – contribution through engagement and action.

Inform yourself, take a stance and be a part of the discussion So what do I suggest? Start opening your eyes, take in what’s going on and get involved in the world around you. Inform yourself, take a stance and be a part of the discussion and the action. Without the buy-in of people of all descriptions, our generation will lose touch with the progress and potential laid before us.

Opinions

v74 e4 - 14 april 2015

Inkosi Yinkosi Ngabantu Jemima Lewin President Jacob Zuma should no longer be president of South Africa.”

This is the opinion of many South Africans who have had enough of his leadership (or lack thereof) and who feel it is time for a new leader to take his place. This harsh truth is as a result of many unfulfilled promises, dodgy dealings in office and the outright disregard President Jacob Zuma seems to have for South African citizens.

With Facebook pages such as “Jacob Zuma is not my president” having thousands of likes, has respect and confidence in the president hit a record low? And how has this been affecting the spirits of South Africans?

“

The poor have lost faith in him

Why is Jacob Zuma no longer the people’s president? He was initially extremely popular amongst the masses, yet on March 17th, 2015, a motion of

no confidence in him was debated. The former question can only be answered if one takes an in-depth look at how he has presided over the country and what has happened during his presidency.

From scathing corruption scandals to personal life dramas, the President has been through it all and shockingly made it through with barely a scratch.

In the six years that Zuma has been president, he has been living above the law. Charges have been dropped and quietly swept under the rug.

Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, yet why is it that some criminals seem to get away with heinous crimes in South Africa? Under President Jacob Zuma’s governance we have seen high profile individuals investigated with their charges dropped or without them serving their full sentence. What makes things worse is when the president is implicated in these cases and scandals.

How can we have a president who is involved with people who openly defy the law?

South Africa is in need of a leader with integrity, and most of all, clean hands - this is the leader Jacob Zuma has unfortunately proved he is not.

He showed incompetency in the way

7

Image: Morema Moloisi

he dealt with the many crises South Africa has experienced in the past few years; from Marikana to the Nkandla scandal. He refuses to deal directly with the many issues South Africa is facing, even the problems for which he is responsible. His refusal to accept any punishment and responsibility for all the wrong he has committed while in power is like a crude gesture to the people of South Africa.

South Africa is in need of a leader with integrity South Africans, however, are not a people to sit back and not do anything in their power to fight an unjust system or leader. Everyday thousands of South Africans voice their displeasure with the president via social media. The “Jacob Zuma is not my president” Facebook page has garnered over 17000 likes, and is growing every day.

What does this say about the sentiment of South Africans currently? Many are disillusioned about the state of the country and its leadership, and this

negatively affects the patriotism for thousands. Are we even still proud to be South African?

“I’m leaving for Australia” is a sentence now used humorously although is a reality for many who have left the country as a result of their displeasure with the ANC and its corrupt leadership. Those who have emigrated often say how embarrassing our country’s president is and the shame they feel when he appears in international news. This is disheartening and upsetting. South Africans deserve a president we can be proud of, not one of whom we

are ashamed.

Not even a poisoning scandal could gather much sympathy for our president. The love and support Zuma once had is dwindling. The poor have lost faith in him and that is never good for any government as strikes and uprisings increase.

President Jacob Zuma is hanging onto his position by a thread - a thread that can easily be cut by his fellow ANC members; much like the expulsion of former president Thabo Mbeki. The time will come when Zuma is no longer our president, but what will be left in his wake?

Images: Morema Moloisi

The Cut-Offs Nadia Ghumra Walking up to West Stop is a pain in itself, but although it’s the hike that most students complain about, I have a loathing for something else that awaits me.

It begins with me chatting to a companion about the shenanigans that either they or I got up to over the weekend, but it ends with an awkward silence. It tends to follow this pattern: “So I went to this party and he was there, then we had this moment where he looked at me, I looked at him and then…” a Jammie cuts us off, because one of us has to bolt to get on it.

Now, this frustrates me because a conversation like this could lead to a very promising friendship, as we divulge our secrets and free-time antics, but instead they crumble away and are never heard of again.

That’s not even the sum total of the anguish one has to endure though. Once safely on board the Jammie, the guilt settles in. I begin thinking of how blatantly rude I was for running off without warning.

Firstly, I was disrespectful to my listener, and secondly, they didn’t get to hear the end of my story. This is made infinitely worse if you have no way of communicating with them afterwards to apologise, or to continue with said conversation.

Oh, and heaven forbid that you be the one who gets cut off, because

you then not only have to walk the rest of the journey alone, but you also have to face the awkwardness of trying to transition from a hyped up discussion to the sudden feelings of neglect and abandonment.

Keep the interactions to and from Jammies to a minimum The cut-offs, however, don’t only happen on the way to a Jammie, but also when getting off of one. You may have found yourself another intriguing passenger to keep you occupied while the Jammie snakes its way through traffic, but sometimes, as soon as it comes to a stop, apparently so does the conversation.

It has happened many times that I jump off and wait for that person to alight so that we can make our closing statements, only to be left standing at the edge of the road with no audience. Somehow people just assume that there is no need to be civil once the Jammie driver screams “Everybody out! Every. Body. Out!” And we can carry on as if the whole thing never happened.

As a result, I have decided to keep the interactions to and from Jammies to a minimum, lest any more feelings get hurt, including my own.

I sincerely apologise to those who have experienced this misfortune and urge the rest to be wary now of this raging phenomenon I shall dub “The Jammie Cut-Offs”.

The many faces of Emojis

Compiled by Michaela Findeis

What do they mean to you?

We went around campus and asked what these five emojis meant to students. Do you agree with these interpretations?

Damian

Do you use emojis?

-No, I don’t see the point.

How do you interpret these?

1-Something to hide 2-Grin 3-Smirk 4-Happy 5-I don’t know, it’s weird

Nicole

Do you use emojis?

-Yes, I even have an app for them, I use the wink tongue face a lot.

How do you interpret these?

1-Embarrassed 2-It’s a fake smile 3-Not interested 4-Normal smile 5-Mysterious

Siseko

Do you use emojis?

-A lot, depending on who I’m chatting to.

People I know get hearts, people I don’t really know get smiley faces.

How do you interpret these?

1-Embarrassed 2-Cheesy joke 3-Sarcastic

Justin & Jordan Do you use emojis?

-Yeah a lot, we use the smiley and the thumbs up

How do you interpret these?

yping out messages, whether it be on our smartphones or a computer, has become second nature to us. Our fingers glide over the keyboard without even having to think of where to press next. Now that we can type out our words with ease, we are beginning to dominate with a new trend: emojis. They have become such a widespread phenomenon that most people feel incomplete without inserting one in their messages. They help to express feelings over text, something that often doesn’t come across clearly with written words.

However, we all have minds of our own so it’s only reasonable that we interpret these emojis differently to others. Because of this, emojis can cause quite a stir. For example, the so called “smirky” face can be used when being sarcastic, while others may choose to use it when being flirty. You may find yourself reading a message that says “Ok, I’ll meet you in the library (smirky face)” and wondering what on Earth that meant. Was the sender being sarcastic or was that some kind of suggestive message? Will there actually be any library related work going down there?

With all the possible meanings that emojis bring to the table, they can cause a lot of confusion. There are even some that make no apparent sense to anyone. They just seem to be random symbols or weirdly shaped blobs that people hardly use. Often we end up attaching our own weird meanings to these kinds of emojis, like using the ballerina lady to indicate sass or the full moon guy to give a mischievous effect.

T

The creators of the emojis have different perspectives on certain emojis to which we have given a common meaning. Emojis originated in Japan, so they were designed with a different meaning in mind. These meanings are relevant in Japan, but not something many of us would be aware of here in South Africa. These include Miss Popular, the lady with her hand sticking out to the side. Most of us accompany her, and her other hand gestures, with a sassy remark but in actual fact, she’s meant to be a concierge. Her role in the world of emojis is to ask people in what way she can help.

There’s the classic hands held in an act of prayer emoji used when hoping or pleading for something.

This emoji is meant to be used when showing gratitude to someone, especially after having a meal with them. Here, it is used for gratitude, pleading, and as a high five. On the other side of emotions, there’s the emoji commonly thought of as a fuming with anger face, which is actually an expression of triumph after trying so hard. Very few people use it to convey a feeling of triumph.

Does anyone use the little guy in the blue shirt that looks like he’s in deep thought? I guess not, because in truth, he doesn’t exist. There is, however, a guy in a blue shirt who is bowing out of respect to a person of high status. Another misconception is the bowl of supposed soup, which is in fact a teacup, without the handle, of green tea. Sip on that while thinking of ways in which others may have completely misinterpreted your message because of your emoji use.

Anyezwa & Sihle Do you use emojis?

-If they’re relevant, yeah. We use the heart kiss, smiling, laughing and crying faces, the blushy face.

How do you interpret these?

1-Embarrassed

2-Anxious, not sure of the answer 3-Smirk 4-Blushing 5-Never seen it/don’t care

Sthandwa & Dan Do you use emojis?

-Yes, a lot, the crying laughing face, the clapping hands, the smile with teeth.

How do you interpret these?

1-Oh no!

2-Super happy/that’s awkward 3-Flirty 4-Big Smile 5-Never used it, a weird, awkward moment

Tasneem

Do you use emojis?

-Yes, a lot, the thumbs up, as well as the sad and crying faces because of campus

How do you interpret these?

1-Embarrassed, don’t want to say

4-Smile

2-I’m going to say or do the thing anyway

5-I don’t know, I would send it randomly

3-Flirty/naughty

Dhishan

Do you use emojis?

-Yes, a lot.

4-Smile 5-Never seen it

How do you interpret these?

1-Embarrassed

1-Something that wasn’t supposed to happen, happened

2-Lank excited

2-The same thing, something wasn’t meant to happen

Do you use emojis?

3-Naughty smile

How do you interpret these?

3-Smug 4-Happy 5-Never seen it/night time

Cassandra & Chelene -Yes, a lot, the laughing ones, the girl with red dress, blushy faces and flowers.

4-Smile

1-Never used it/can’t believe that just happened

5-Describing someone who’s weird

2-Eek/super excited 3-Sarcastic 4-Very happy 5-Never used it/not sure

Created by Michaela Findeis and Nadia Ghumra

10

Features

v74 e4 – 14 april 2015

Powdered alcohol:

Yes, it’s a thing now

roblem number one: You’re going to Rocking the Daisies, but can’t stand the thought of lugging litres upon litres of alcohol all the way from your car to your tent. Problem number two: You went to the One Direction concert and they weren’t selling alcohol. Being around thousands of screaming girls was almost too much for your frazzled nerves to handle, and you found yourself wishing there had been a way to smuggle in some vodka. Problem number three: You’re an idiot who thinks that snorting alcohol sounds like a good idea.

P

Palcohol comes in Vodka and Rum formulas

Stress no longer, loyal drinkers of Cape Town: your prayers have been answered. Powdered alcohol, or “Palcohol” has just been legalised in America. It was developed by wine expert Mark Phillips, who wanted to find ways to bring booze with him on hiking trips without having to carry heavy bottles.

Palcohol comes in vodka and rum formulas, as well as in four just-add-water cocktails: Cosmopolitan, Mojito, “Powderita,” and Lemon Drop. The powder comes in resealable sachets, each about the size of a birthday card.

The sachets can stand up on their own and each one contains about half a cup of powder, which is the equivalent of one shot of alcohol.

This all sounds exciting, and a surefire way to achieve the best hangover of your life, but many people have criticised Palcohol.

Authorities are worried that people might snort it and get dangerously

All the essentials you need to survive the daily UCT struggles Image: Jessica Fish

Parusha Naidoo

Image: flickr.com/Theen Moy

Shannon Krausey

Campus Survival Kit:

drunk. However, Phillips says that this isn’t a legitimate concern.

“It's painful to snort due to the alcohol,” Phillips wrote on the company blog. “Second, it's impractical. It takes approximately 60 minutes to snort the equivalent of one shot of vodka. Why would anyone do that when they can do a shot of liquid vodka in two seconds?”

It’s much easier to spike drinks with liquid alcohol Also, people are worried that Palcohol could be used to spike drinks – yet it’s much easier to spike drinks with liquid alchohol, as Palcohol needs to be shaken or stirred for at least 30 seconds before it dissolves.

Finally, there have been concerns about people sneaking alcohol into venues where it is banned. However, the sachets are quite bulky (5cm thick at their base), and since each one only contains enough powder for one drink, you’d have to sneak in a lot of them if you really wanted to get drunk in a dry zone.

those nasty germs.

The elusive paper vampire Its five minutes to 1pm and the deadline of your assignment is fast approaching. You bolt to the library in search of a stapler but instead receive scowls and jeers as you scamper about in desperation.

When you finally lay your hands on one, there are no staples.

The goo that cleans your hands It’s that time of year when the plague has begun to spread and your friends are going MIA. Every person is a potential carrier, highfives and hugs could lead to your demise and must be avoided at all costs. Squirt some hand sanitizer on your hands and dodge

Spray that stink and brush those teeth Trudging up Jammie stairs from lower on a hot summer’s day is bound to leave you with an undesirable scent and all-nighters on campus will leave you with the opposite of minty fresh breath.

Avoid smelling as if you haven’t had your annual shower and pack in that deodorant. Unless you intend on taking a vow of silence, don’t part those lips without using toothpaste, mouth wash or gum.

Pepper, not for your food It’s late and you’ve missed the last Jammie shuttle. Not willing to pay an exorbitant fee for a cab, you brave the night and begin the

Each sachet is equivalent to one shot of alcohol

So, you’re probably better off pre-drinking than stuffing Palcohol sachets down your pants and waddling around with a Kardashian-esqe derrière. Your idiot friends won’t manage to get drunk off snorting it, but will manage to burn their nostrils to hell and back. But don’t write it off just yet – Palcohol may just save you several trips to your car at Daisies. That is, if it gets legalised in this country.

Twitter@UCTupstarts

Facebook/UCTupstarts

journey home by foot. The last time you took a martial arts class was when you were five but you awaken your inner karate-kid.

Black-belt or not, make sure to arm yourself with a can of pepper spray to ward off the evil spirits and predators.

Cash money coins The gremlins in your tummy have begun to rumble and you have 5 minutes between your lectures to get something to eat. You contemplate going to the cafeteria but the thought of long lines tells you vending machines would be better for that quick snack. But that R100 note or plastic card will not get you the R5 Simba Chips.

Never underestimate the power of a one rand coin.

Features

v74 e4 - 14 april 2015

11

Bridging the gender gap in STEM: Empowering girls and breaking stereotypes Qamran Tabo cience and engineering are fields that are traditionally male dominated. However, despite the fact that female engineers and technologists remain few and far between, there has been a recent increase in the number of women studying and working in these fields.

A study compiled by Cambridge Occupational Analysts showed that, from 2007 to 2014, there was a larger

S

increase in the number of women studying in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics academic disciplines (STEM) than men.

Without positive role models in STEM, many schoolgirls doubt their own ability The study cites initiatives that aim to increase women’s interest in

science and engineering as being the cause of this increase. One such initiative is Robogals: an international student-run NPO founded in 2008 by Marita Cheng, a then mechatronics engineering student at the University of Melbourne.

Starting as a small student club, Cheng and her cohorts would teach girls in Melbourne robotics as a way to stimulate their interest in engineering.

Following the success of their initial efforts, they were able to expand their

Feelin’ funky with Fritzherbert Bands born from the South African College of Music

Engela Britz Features at Varsity has decided to catch up with some of the SACM’s (South African College of Music) bands and performers. Many of the bands are already well-known in and around Cape Town, but some are still on their way to becoming big names in the South African music scene. Each article in the series will focus on a different band in order to provide a broad perspective on the SACM scene.

all highly skilled and talented musicians

First up is Fritzherbert, a fearless four-piece band that tackles wellknown and loved pop songs with the same fervour as they do jazz standards and fugues. The band is comprised of four highly talented members – Francois Botha on keys, Alex Meyers on bass, Diana Neille on vocals and violin, and Jarryd West on drums. Both Diana and Francois have travelled across the globe as symphony orchestra members, and although much of their training and performance has been in the Western-classical idiom, they are both making names for themselves as jazz musicians.

Alex and Jarryd are responsible for giving Fritzherbert a solid and groovy rhythm. This formidable duo

have been playing together for some time, first informally and then, as the Meyers-West band.

never afraid to make an old or new favourite its own Fritzherbert’s sound is strongly influenced by funk and jazz, but also sometimes alludes to the sound of drum-and-bass. The band describes itself as “never afraid to make an old or new favourite its own”. However, don’t let their creative covers trick you into believing that they simply spice up the most popular hits – their first two original tracks were performed at their official band launch at the Triplane Productions Facility on February 27th this year.

“Lonely Bird” is about the oh-sofamiliar phenomenon of loving someone who needs to be saved, whilst “Charlie” addresses the injustices of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack which occurred earlier this year.

tackles pop songs, jazz standards and fugues with equal fervour

Image: Triplane Productions

Image: Robogals Global

Although only recently formed, Fritzherbert has already performed at many events and venues this year, including the Maynardville Community Chest Carnival 2015, the sixth annual Cape Town Carnival, classy live music venues like The Piano Bar and 5 Rooms, and Rondebosch’s own The Great Wizoo.

At the end of May they will start as resident performers at the Galloway Theatre. You can show them some love by liking their Facebook page where you’ll find regular updates of upcoming performances as well as the details of their booking agent.

Some of their live performances can also be viewed on Triplane Films’ YouTube channel. Add them to your morning wake-up playlist or dinner party soundtracks. I look forward to hearing more from this band, and hope that rumours about an album or EP will prove to be true in the near future.

organisation to other universities throughout Australia.

As of today, Robogals has chapters at 21 universities on five continents, with Robogals Cape Town at UCT being the first of its kind in Africa.

being part of Robogals has given me the opportunity to combat gender inequality As a female science student, being part of Robogals has given me the opportunity to combat gender inequality in a meaningful way.

Women are generally stereotyped as either having no interest in STEM or as being inherently incompetent in subjects related to these fields.

“The long history of science is male dominated, partly because it was mostly men who works [sic] in science, but also because of a bias in reporting women’s achievements,” says Prof. Genevieve Langdon of the Mechanical Engineering department.

Without positive role models

in STEM, many schoolgirls doubt their own ability to perform well in maths and science and often remain passive during these lessons, giving boys an advantage.

However, when Robogals offered the pupils of Rustenberg Junior Girls’ School a bias-free and interactive space to build their own electronic circuits, many of them displayed an enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to learn that challenged many existing societal notions about their gender’s capabilities. “[When I was little] I loved science and learning how things work… [My father and I] would design and build tools and machinery at home, a part of my childhood that I really enjoyed,” states Ms Robyn Verrinder, a lecturer for the Electrical Engineering department and robotics researcher.

My experience as a member of Robogals has shown me that if girls were to be given the same opportunity to learn about STEM that boys are, the gender gap in these fields would dissipate. Although they are no silver bullet, initiatives like Robogals are the first step to sparking a much needed change.

12

v74 e4 – 14 april 2015

Features

What’s on your iPod?

My musical yellow-brick road has been an eclectic symphony of indie rock darlings, angsty metalcore and a (brief) love affair with experimental 80s ballads reminiscent of Depeche Mode – amongst many others. I’ve cried to Daughter, rapped along to Eminem, rocked out to Radiohead, resonated with Arctic Monkeys and danced my feet raw to Drake. My tastes are as bizarre as they come: right now I’m listening to King Krule, Tame Impala and a lot of Odd Future.

But enough about me: I want you to play your moments; pause the memories, stop the pain, and rewind the happiness with me - and our lens-woman of the week, Nina – to take us down your memory lane by sharing one half of an iPod earphone.

We’re telling your musical stories, one note at a time.

Compiled by Busang Senne Images by Nina Lawreson

Features

V74 E4 - 14 APRIL 2015

Ah, those were the days…

13

We take a quick trip down memory lane on all things cool and forgotten

Shannon Krausey s the assignments fly in and we have to start neglecting our social lives to get our work done, we find ourselves longing for the days when we had far fewer responsibilities: the days when naps were compulsory, and the days when our parents would give us dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets for dinner. This whole “young adult” thing has been fun, but I think it’s high time to forego

A

the hangovers and go back to being a child – here’s why.

Weekends Weekends were a time when we had absolutely no responsibilities, and no deadlines hanging over our heads. We would spend our days watching seven-hour-long Power Rangers marathons on kTV or going to birthday parties where some idiot would put his hand

These Homies ain’t loyal The birth and boom of Hip Hop and rap music Tumi Molefe Hip Hop culture as we know it began in the South Bronx of New York City in the late 1970s. It was designed to break down racial barriers and give African Americans and Latinos in these communities a voice through which to express their discontent with many forms of injustice. Specifically, Hip Hop spoke out against the social and political marginalisation of these minorities in American society.

it became a platform for the disenchanted and disenfranchised youths One of the founding fathers of Hip Hop, who was instrumental in creating what became the blueprint for modern rap, was Clive Campbell.

As with many Hip Hop artists who expressed their identity through new names; Clive Campbell is better known as Kool Herc. Herc introduced to Hip Hop the Jamaican concept of “toasting” in music. Born in Jamaica, the term refers to the rhythmic impromptu boastful speech or recitation of poetry over music. Today, we know this as rap.

As rap spread through the United States of America it became a platform for the disenchanted and disenfranchised youths from poor African American communities, which were often fraught with gangs, to make their opinions heard. The gangs offered young African Americans a place to belong and allowed them to show their

unhappiness with the status quo of American society by participating in illegal activities. Thus, it’s no surprise that Hip Hop culture and gang culture would merge.

The impact gangsterism had on Hip Hop was tremendous. Rappers began to rap about the violent acts they committed, as well as a list of all the illegal activities they participated in. Many rappers became proud of their allegiances to various gangs and thus gang lifestyle became glamorised.

Misogyny is a big part of gang lifestyle where women are often looked down upon and are used by their male counterparts in gangs as prostitutes and drug mules. A woman’s function in a gang was, and remains today, primarily sexual. While the men in these gangs went out to fight and sell drugs, the women’s value came almost exclusively from their bodies.

This paradigm is prevalent in contemporary Hip Hop, as male rappers continue to rap about violence, loyalty to a gang and coming from “the hood”. For example, in Bobby Shmurda’s “Hot N*gga”, in which female rappers are heavily objectified by their male counterparts. Women are frequently referred to as “hoes,” a colloquial term synonymous with the word “whore,” referring to their function as being nothing more than sexual, similar to prostitutes in gangs.

The result is an industry plagued by misogyny in which female rappers are only given opportunities if they buy into the rampant objectification present in the industry - Nikki Minaj’s butt implants and song Anaconda speak for themselves - and allow themselves to be embodied as nothing more than animated sex dolls.

Image: Thuto Aphiri

in the chip bowl straight after getting out of the pool. Mmm, soggy flings!

We covered ourselves in edgy fake tattoos

Sweets One of the saddest things that can happen when you grow up is having one of your favourite sweets discontinued. Remember Holey Moleys? They were tiny biscuit rings enrobed in chocolate, and besides being delicious, they were also perfect to slide onto your fingers and use as pretend rings. There was also Wicks Bubblegum, with its aggressively strong wintergreen flavouring, and Flash Pops, suckers that almost resembled light sabers.

Luckily, some of our old favourites are still around, like Pez. These toylike dispensers with their little square sweets were all the rage and fun to collect, but also really expensive, and you required serious sweet talk to the parents if you wanted that new Buzz Lightyear one.

Cartoon Network made it their sole mission to freak us out Fashion We were really stylish in the 90s. As cute little four-year-olds, we covered ourselves in edgy fake tattoos of snakes or thorned roses.

As we got older, we rolled around on Heeleys, despite them being absolutely hideous. Girls found it absolutely necessary to spritz themselves with strawberry-scented Barbie body glitter spray, obviously

because Britney was always covered in gliter, and we had to follow the trends. I wont even talk about the Von Dutch/Ed Hardy trend, because that memory is just to cringey to even consider.

TV It’s a miracle we turned out alright.

It’s almost as if Cartoon Network made it their sole mission to freak us out with really creepy shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog and Samurai Jack. If the shows weren’t disturbing, they were just downright absurd, like Cow and Chicken, where two people without bodies above their hips were able to talk and raise their biological children, a chicken and a cow (how on earth did that happen?), while a red devil dude bounced around on his butt cheeks.

Did I mention Cow and Chicken had “pork butts and taters” catapulted into their mouths for dinner? Oh, the bizarreness of cartoons! I’m not quite sure if I’m ready to replace all of them with the evening news quite yet!

14

Sport

v74 e4 –14 april 2015

10 Things All Runners Need To Know Kyra Francis If you’ve got the running shoes, the really cool running gear and you’re always keen to hit the road then you have been bitten by the running bug – love the bite! I’ve been bitten and can’t get enough of it. I have learnt a great deal on and off the road, from experienced runners and from novices.

These are a few of the things that I think all runners need to know: 1. Victory dances are compulsory!

If you’ve finally reached the top of that hill, run around the Rondebosch Common without stopping or even mustered up the energy to put on your running shoes, you need to do a victory dance! People will stare, some will laugh, but it’s just because they’re jealous. Have no shame, get jiggy with it and dance.

2. All weather is running weather.

Nothing beats the feeling of breathing in the icy cold air on a dark winter’s morning or feeling the sweat run down your forehead on a hot summer’s day. No matter the weather, go run! Unless, of course, the weatherman tells you not to – I suggest that you listen to him.

3. Snot-rockets and spit-bombs.

They’re gross, and hopefully self-explanatory, but they’re a reality and need to be dealt with. Just make sure that before you shoot off a rocket or bomb you check for people behind you, the wind direction and, lastly, for your own sake, make sure you shoot with enough force to avoid it landing on your cheek or leg. Eeew!

4. You don’t own the road.

Be friendly to everyone on the road, whether it’s a fellow runner, cyclist, pedestrian, motorist, mom-baby combo or a dog. We all share the road, so be nice.

5. Don’t stop running!

Running is a mental game. The nine out of the ten times that you feel tired, is not because your legs are giving up, but because your mind is. Know the difference and believe that you can overcome it!

6. There’s no such thing as too much neon.

The brighter the better, I mean, who doesn’t want to resemble a highlighter? And let’s not kid ourselves, we live in Cape Town and our roads are dangerous – make sure that motorists can see you.

7. There will be days when you hate running.

Some days you just won’t feel like running and that’s okay. Some days you will leave for a run and decide ten minutes in that you just don’t feel like running anymore, and that’s awkward, but it’s also okay.

How I Endured the Rain

A journey back through early mornings, water packets and buckled knees

Adam Kleinschmidt Imagine the scene: a wet, muddy field, the rain slamming into the ground, a group of adolescent young men roaring loudly as a small ball is tossed around. It’s a typical schools rugby derby game. The adrenaline is pumping furiously and I’m barely keeping up with the game. By the end of the first half, I make the horrible realisation that I am extremely unfit.

Fast-forward three years, similar time of day, and I’m standing on the UCT Rugby Fields, not as a player but as a successful runner having run my third Two Oceans and my fifth half marathon overall. Cold, tired and with knees that burn like a campfire, but exhilarated.

What changed, you might ask?

In the simplest answer, I started running. I ran in the rain, my hair sopping wet, my shoes squelching like a muddy ditch. I ran in the heat, the road to Rhodes Memorial a long path of burning tar. I ran over hills, over plains, over beaches and over rocks. Most of all, I ran over my own fears and lack of self-confidence.

Every time I put my running shoes on and pressed play on my iPod, I took one more step – no pun intended – closer to becoming a better person. Sure, some days were extremely hard. Anyone who has had a running injury will tell you that it’s not fun to be incapacitated for a number of days or weeks.

Notwithstanding any accidents or injuries, a lapse in your health is a tragedy akin to Macbeth, so don’t get me started on chest coughs and flu.

Running long distances, be it five or 50 kilometres, teaches you a lot about life. For starters, endurance is a real thing. No matter the odds,

9. Be smart.

If you really love running and you want to make sure you can carry on running, then run smartly.

Don’t run when you’re sick, don’t over-exert yourself, stay hydrated during your runs and invest in a good pair of running shoes.

10. Get a running partner!

You need someone to push you when you’re feeling lazy. Sometimes you just need someone to feel the same burn that you are while running up that hill. Get a running partner, if not for the company on the road then for someone to share your secrets with. There is also a very good chance that your running partner will end up being your best friend, and who wouldn’t want to stay fit with their best friend?

Happy running. See you on the road sometime!

Images: Mari Mombers

you’ll find most runners keep going, pushing hard against the infamous “Wall”. You’ll see them out there on the course, their faces contorting, their breathing some bizarre rhythmic Darth Vader sound, their mind yelling at them to keep on moving their legs. It’s only halfway.

Just a few more, it’s not that hard.

You feel better afterwards and during training. With better circulation and strong muscles you’ll be able to tackle the steps of Steve Biko with great ease (just to avoid the elevator voice). You won’t feel as bad about that bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk you dominated during Meridian, because half an hour on the road later will make it all go away.

And what about the vibe at all the races? I wouldn’t give it up for anything. The people you’ll find early in the morning, still wiping sleep from their eyes, are the most driven, the most diverse individuals you’ll ever meet. One of my fondest memories is a race I ran shortly before beginning first year when a lovely middle-aged woman spent the better part of five kilometres screaming loud, joyful encouragement to all the runners around her.

So, to all prospective runners out there, your water bottle in hand, your iPod playing the latest electropop from Sweden, get yourself an entry for the 2016 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon. No matter what your speed or distance ability, #OMTOM2016 is destined to be another cracker of a race. Until then, I’m going to nurse my post-race can of Coca-Cola, accompanied by a nice green-ribboned medal.

elcome to the fourth edition of the VARSITY Newspaper and the second edition of my bi-weekly column.

It has been a mixed few weeks for UCT sport, with the successful hosting of the Absa Cape Epic and the Two Oceans Marathon but the disappointment of losing the Varsity Cup SemiFinals. This week, however, we have a special page dedicated to running in honour of the athletes who did so brilliantly in the Two Oceans and in celebration of the upcoming UCT 10km Memorial Race. We also have the regular first time article and a look at what the rowing club has been up to, as well as what they have coming up. I also encourage you to read Yusuf Omar’s piece on our Ikey Tigers, who have gone on to achieve regional, national and international honours, and Fanie’s article on our brilliant Sevens team.

Before I sign out I want to pay tribute to the women’s winner of the Two Oceans Marathon, Caroline Wostmann, who showed that even in the age of professional sports a parttime runner, running purely for the enjoyment and beauty of the sport, can upstage her professional peers. Well done Caroline, and thanks for proving that sport is about so much more than earnings, sponsorships and gold medals. Have a great week, play hard, and most importantly, have fun.

W

Over and out,

Dean Horwitz

You Can Walk the Walk,

but Can You Run the Run?

Rowan Nicholls

8. The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is not the ONLY race.

Contrary to popular belief there are other races throughout the year. Do them! Better your time. Don’t be that Two Oceans “one hit wonder” kind of runner.

From the Bench

One of the great things about running is that it is for everyone.

There are not many sports where professionals can so regularly be seen competing against novices, with the same start and end points and the same route in between.

Take last year’s UCT 10km Memorial Race for example. If you haven’t heard about this race then make sure you find out; it’s a great experience and a UCT tradition that goes back over 30 years! Each year, a floating trophy is awarded to the first lady across the finish line (it was donated by the parents of a top UCT runner who passed away tragically in 1982). And last year it went to Zintle Xiniwe, a national-level athlete running for New Balance, in a blistering time of 37:55.

At the same time, however, there was a whole series of other races going on behind her: people pushing themselves to beat their own personal best times, to beat their friends, enemies or the person who happened to be ahead of them at the time, or just pushing to get

home before the cut-off time. For many, it was their first 10km race.

Speak to any runner and they will tell you about epic races they have had, yet only a few of them would have been in serious contention for a top spot in said race. That is because the triumphs found in running are, more often than not, personal: can I reach the top of this hill, can I beat my best performance, can I push myself to be better than I was yesterday? Where else can you find such self-actualisation so early on a weekend morning?

And as if all that wasn’t attractive enough, UCT has its own race coming up! Sunday, May 3rd will see close to one-and-a-half thousand people descend onto Middle Campus for what has become a highlyanticipated and much talked-about event: the UCT 10km Memorial Race, presented by The Sweat Shop.

It is the only local officially licensed race organized entirely by student volunteers (and probably one of only a few globally), which is something to be proud of. It’s not put on to earn a profit for the organisers; it’s put on for runners (the slow and the fast) and UCT students to enjoy.

But wait, there’s more! By entering the race, all UCT staff and students are automatically entered into the inter-res and inter-faculty competitions - a chance to finally put to bed the arguments about which res is dominant in 2015, or which faculty has the most people skipping leg day.

The race’s annual charity drive – the Shoe Drop – will also be continuing. Bring along your old, unwanted running shoes and warm clothes, and the UCT Athletics Club, along with SHAWCO and their Rags2Riches initiative, will make sure they go to people in need this winter.

So there you have it. Whether you run for your Ikey pride, run for your res, run for your faculty or just run for yourself, it doesn’t actually matter; all you need to do is tie up your shoes and get out there.

And remember, when it comes to running, nobody’s opinion matters more than yours...

For more details about the UCT 10km Memorial Race, have a search for the Facebook event or look out for the posters around campus.

Sport

Sports Bites Dean Horwitz and Fanie van Zijl UCT Sports wrap-up UCT dominates at the Mother City Invitational Ultimate Frisbee Tournament

The MCI took place at the Pinelands Cricket Oval from April 3rd to April 5th.

A UCT development side consisting of new and 3rd team players came 6th in tournament while the SA u23 Wild Dogs side, consisting of 14 UCT players, won the tournament.

UCT Yacht Club sails to success

Over the Easter weekend, members of the UCT Yacht Club braved the howling winds and multiple sharks for the final Southern Charter Grand Slam Series hosted at False Bay Yacht Club. UCTYC dominated the sonnet class taking first, second and third place. Heidi Burger, showing the boys how it's done, was the winning helmswoman followed by club members Ryan Barnardo and James Stock. Neil Malan, the club commodore, also pulled off a first place in the 29er class.

UCT Athletics Club represents in the 2 Oceans Marathon

A total of 35 men and 39 women from the UCT Athletics Club successfully completed the Two Oceans Marathon. In the men’s half-marathon Timothy Chambers, Byron Reeve and Patrick Colborne came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places while Jessica Pollock, Leigh Barrow and Kerri Langton came 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the women’s race. In the full marathon Daniel Egan, Wayne Stanley Rice and Graeme Cumming came in the top three places while Andrea Icely was the only UCT woman to complete the full marathon.

Local and International Sports wrap-up Chelsea bids for Japanese striker

Chelsea has made a bid for Japanese striker Yoshinori Muto. Japanese news agency Kyodo News says the FC Tokyo player is yet to decide whether to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer. The 22-year-old, capped 11 times, has scored three times in four games at the start of the new J-League season. Muto, who scored 13 times last season and was named in the league's select XI, played for Japan during their run to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. – bbc.co.uk/sport

No Regret for Alonso

Fernando Alonso says he is convinced he made the right decision in leaving Ferrari to join McLaren this season. The 33-yearold two-time world champion, who left Ferrari after five years without a title, saw replacement Sebastian Vettel win only his second race for the team last month.

McLaren, meanwhile, are struggling to compete in the early months of their new engine partnership with Honda. "I am happy with my decision," said Alonso.

– bbc.co.uk/sport

15

South Africa star in Sevens Fanie van Zijl

Image: Gallo Images

or those who do not know much about sevens rugby, aside from it being played with seven players on each team, here is a rundown: despite fewer players being involved, the game is played on a standard sized field, leading to very high intensity and fast paced matches that are also much shorter, with each half lasting seven minutes. Fifteen teams participate in an annual World Series season, which consists of nine separate tournaments. Additionally, a sevens world cup, an independent event, takes place every four years.

New Zealand have dominated the World Series since its inauguration in 1991, having won 12 titles.

F

Key for South Africa… has been the performance of young winger Seabelo Senatla This season South Africa’s team the Blitzbokke has come on strongly. Having previously only topped the final standing once, they have built on last season’s runners-up position and hold the top spot with over two-thirds of the season done and dusted. Their campaign got off to a blistering start, winning the first two of three

tournaments, but since then they have seemingly slowed up a little, suffering three consecutive semifinal defeats against New Zealand and Fiji, cutting their lead at the top of the table to just four points. Yet strong reason for optimism remains, according to captain and former Varsity Cup player for the Ikey Tigers, Kyle Brown. Despite the defeat to Australia in the last leg in Hong Kong, he praised the performance of his players in the game, saying “We were a bit off the pace in Wellington and Vegas but judging from last week’s performance [in Hong Kong] I think we played some really good quality rugby.”

Key for South Africa, along with skipper Brown, has been the performance of young winger Seabelo Senatla, who was the

Blitzbokke’s top try scorer last season with 29. This season he has upped his game, and after scoring nine tries in the seventh leg, he has 39 to his name this season, leaving him as top try scorer overall in the competition so far by some distance (seven to be exact). He is a player to look out for not just in the sevens but in domestic and super rugby too, where he turns out for Western Provence and the Stormers respectively. He looks like a terrific prospect.

The seventh and most recent leg in Tokyo saw South Africa produce impressive performances but ultimately ended in a narrow miss as they were beaten 23-13 by unlikely winners England in a thrilling finale. But the semi-final victory against Fiji ensured that

South Africa remained top of the log.

Ahead of the eighth leg in Scotland, South Africa are facing fierce competition for top spot from traditional series powerhouses New Zealand and Fiji. The Kiwis’ pedigree is obvious but the consistently excellent performances of tiny, yet rugby-mad island country Fiji are quite remarkable.

While New Zealand is not very large in its own right, Fiji has a population of well under a million people.

Although their two appearances in IRB Rugby World Cup quarterfinals is impressive, it is the Sevens team that has really put the country on the rugby map. They triumphed in the last tournament beating New Zealand 33-19 in a stellar performance in the Hong Kong cup final, and have shown without a doubt that they can beat the very best.

“the consistently excellent performances of… Fiji are quite remarkable” If the season has been anything to go by the final two tournaments will be riveting viewing. Make sure you tune in and watch as South Africa do battle to claim the coveted Sevens World Series title and a well deserved place in the 2016 Olympics.

My first time at Yoga

Tanya Magaisa

Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline which, many have led me to believe, allows one to gain control of the mind and body. So this year I decided that I needed to combat my anxiety with control. If I can control my mind I can prevent the irrational panic that causes my heart to palpitate and my hand to reach for that bottle of “Rescue” drops.

One Thursday I entered the gym,

I just watched and copied

removed my sneakers and grabbed a yoga mat, then very late in the game was overwhelmed by the stench of feet and sweat, but for the sake of gaining self-control I endured.

I won’t lie, I expected a quick fix.

I thought that after one session I

Image: Mari Mombers would be anxiety-free, Zen and as flexible as a rubber band. I was not and still am not.

The session started with everyone

Everybody is quiet and in their own peace

Cricket South Africa Denies Lorgat SMS Claims

CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat dismissed reports claiming that he had sent Proteas coach Russell Domingo an SMS informing the coach to pick a player of colour for the Proteas' World Cup semi-final match against New Zealand. Reports claimed that Lorgat had sent the coach a message telling him to pick certain players. But Lorgat denied the claims, describing them as “utter nonsense”.

– supersport.com

V74 E4 - 14 APRIL 2015

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY? Receive daily emails of places as they become available

REGISTER TODAY!

TheRoomLink.co.za

sitting cross-legged, eyes closed and stretching. I just watched and copied.

Then we began to breathe. During this breathing, the instructor guided us into feeling our muscles melt and relax, and feeling our spine level with the floor beneath us as we inhaled and exhaled deeply. I had failed to feel any of this throughout all my early sessions – concentrating on sitting with my back straight caused stress on my knees and thus prevented me from “melting”.

My only successes have been physical. Since I was already above average in the flexibility department I had not struggled with most of the moves, from downward dog (this is when you try to get your heels to touch the ground while your hands are on the floor like a dog stands) to the shoulder stand.

What I enjoyed most about the classes was the ambience. Everybody is quiet and in their own peace, or at least

searching for that peace. The smell of incense, once my nose got over the initial sting, is actually quite calming and the neutral voice of the instructor is assuring and encouraging.

In the beginning I felt ridiculous and was very sceptical of the practice

The smell of incense... is actually quite calming

of yoga. The bee humming while I beat my chest reminded me of Matthew McConaughey in a scene from Wolf of Wall Street and the incense at first seemed pretentious, but after some time my arrogance disappeared. I no longer had to concentrate on sitting up straight because my spine just did and I have been happily “melting” ever since.

Sport

What to Watch

VARSITY

UCT April 18th UCT A Rugby VS. Tygerberg 4pm A Rugby Field April 25th UCT Table Tennis Tournament Sports Hall 2

Local/ International Sport April 14 & 15th Champions League Supersport 3 April 21st Varsity Cup 15 VS. SA u20 Danie Carven Stadium 7pm Supersport 1

UCT Rowing Sprints to the Finish Melissa Mtolo or anyone who has never met a rower, there are two characteristics that you are, without a doubt, bound to find: firstly, ill-favoured calloused hands and secondly, an unrelenting determination to win.

These two things were amplified to unprecedented levels on the weekend of March 20th to 22nd at the 2015 Annual Universities Rowing Regatta (USSA-R).

F

it didn’t take the women long to find their gold medal On a scale of one to ten, the USSA-R sprints regatta is an 11 when it comes to racing. The course stretches a kilometer in length down our very own home turf: Misverstand Dam. We played host to Tuks, NMMU, UJ, Maties,

Image: Temujin Johnson

UKZN and Rhodes in various boat classes and each of them definitely brought the heat.

On a scale of one to ten, the USSA-R sprints regatta is an eleven The racing started off on Friday, with UCT racking up a few wins in the heats to qualify for finals on Saturday. Friday was highlighted by the Men’s B coxless fours race, in which UCT came in second, behind a sharp Rhodes crew. Kyle Schoonbee also took up a spot in the top three positions in the Men’s A sculls race, coming in second behind Tuks. The competition was just as tight on the women’s side, with UCT placing third in the Women’s A pairs. In a space of two races from the last, the Women’s A coxed four crew dominated the course, coming in ahead of a fierce UJ and Tuks crew who took second and third respectively.

Friday was highlighted by the annihilation displayed by the Women’s A eight who took gold in a nail-biting race.

the UCTRC is in perfect standing to replicate this record Saturday saw a cogent start with the Women’s B four winning their

final, leaving Tuks and Wits the second and third place position, respectively. The men also came back with resilience, flying down the course to be awarded gold in the Men’s A pairs race. UCT took center stage again with the Women’s B eight taking gold from UJ and Rhodes. In true UCT style, our crews commanded the course as they grabbed hold of the final gold medals in the Women’s C doubles, the Women’s B pairs, the Women’s A fours, and lastly the Men’s A

eight. These results handed the UCTRC the Best Overall Women and the Best Overall University.

If these results are anything to go by, the UCTRC is in perfect standing to replicate this record at the South African Championships on April 25th to the 26th at Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria. The competition is expected to be faster, stronger, and better than what was showed off at USSA-R but that is no challenge for the UCTRC who is ready to fight to come out on top.

First Ikeys, Then the World!

Image: Morema Moloisi

out for the British & Irish Lions 2009 tour to South Africa (which the Springboks won).

Kevin Foote... now coaches the Western Force backline

Yusuf Omar The UCT Ikey Tigers might have fallen in the semi-final of the 2015 Varsity Cup against FNB Shimlas, but they have still won as many Varsity Cups (two) as any other team in the competition.

And this hasn’t gone unnoticed by national and provincial selectors. No fewer than 91 UCT rugby players have gone on to higher honours since the Varsity Cup was launched in 2008, from the Vodacom Cup all the way through to the senior Springbok side. It’s impossible to note all of

them in this limited space, but we’ll try to mention as many as we can.

No fewer than 91 UCT rugby players have gone on to higher honours

Some, like lock Eben Etzebeth, have donned the green and gold at the highest level and will be hoping to crack the World Cup squad later this year. His Stormers colleague, star flank Nizaam Carr, is also most likely to be on their way to the United Kingdom. JJ Gagiano

has played Test matches for the USA Super Eagles and might well come up against some former team-mates.

Flank Kyle Brown captains the Blitzbokke (the Springbok Sevens team), for whom Mpho Mbiyozo was a stalwart. Petrus Engelbrecht has also played for the Blitzbokke three times.

Centre David Ambunya represented Kenya at HSBC Sevens World Series in George in 2010, while flank Michael Morris played for Zimbabwe in the following year’s iteration.

Mathew Turner played for England in the 2009 IRB Sevens Series in George and then turned

Take a deep breath before reading a list of recent UCTbred Super Rugby players: Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Siyabonga ‘Scarra’ Ntubeni, Nic Groom, Demetri Catrakilis, Don Armand, Tim Whitehead, Yaasier Hartzenberg, Martin Muller, Nick Fenton-Wells, Marcel Brache, Chris Heiberg, Alexander Macdonald, Nick Koster, Quinn Roux, Francois van Wyk, Dylon Frylinck, Oliver Kebble, Michael Willemse and Huw Jones all cut their gum-guards on the Green Mile. You may now relax your diaphragms.

Most of them appeared for the Stormers and some have held down a regular place in this year’s Super 15 team. Some - like Leyds, Brache, Heiberg and Van Wyk - appeared for the Aussie franchise Western Force at some point (Leyds has since returned to the Stormers), while Muller bares his teeth with the Lions.

And don’t forget those in the cockpit; Kevin Foote, who coached UCT to Varsity Cup glory in 2011 now coaches the Western Force

backline in the Vodacom Super 15.

Thirty-two recent Ikeys have appeared in the Absa Currie Cup Premier (take a smaller breath because we’re excluding the Super Rugby stars): Petrus Engelbrecht, Matt Rosslee, Marcello Sampson, Daniel van der Merwe, Adrian Kritzinger, Michael Passaportis, Therlow Pietersen, Hilton Lobberts, Neil Rautenbach, Rayn Smid, Joshua Katzen and Dean Grant.

Kuselo Moyake and Grant Kemp have played in the Absa Currie Cup First Division.

next time somebody in maroon disses UCT... metaphorically toss this list in their faces A few of these comprise of the 64 Ikeys who’ve played in the Vodacom Cup, and the 56 that appeared in the Absa Under-21 competition.

South Africa has lost a few talents to greener pastures; as the likes of Koster, Fenton-Wells, Roux, Stuart Commins and Graham Knoop have all tried their hands in overseas leagues.

So the next time somebody in maroon disses UCT in a rugby stadium, metaphorically toss this list in their faces, and make sure you’ve printed it in type-size 48.

Seriously, though; don’t do any tossing.