THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
12 May 2015
VOLUME 74: EDITION6
varsitynewspaper.co.za
@varsitynews
Curriculum Transformation
varsitynewspaper
IN THIS ISSUE
Image: Megon Venter
DISCHO Follow-Up
PAGE 3
Image: wikimedia.org/Eviatar Bach
What’s in a Name?
Aisha Abdool Karim here have been widespread calls for changes to the academic curriculum following the actions of the Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) movement, which raised a number of transformation issues. Although there was already an existing structure established at the end of last year, the Curriculum Task Team (CURTT), individual faculties are now also examining potential changes that could be made to the curriculum. The SRC has drafted a comprehensive document of transformation changes that need to be implemented which will be presented to Council. One of the issues raised within the document was that of curriculum change. The SRC proposed that an independent task team be established to facilitate curriculum change and oversee faculty-based changes. A core course dealing with intersectionality (of issues such as race, sexuality, gender) to be offered by all faculties was also proposed. Ramabina Mahapa, SRC President, said that there is a need for this knowledge to extend beyond just the Humanities Faculty and that the SRC “believes in creating socially conscious graduates”. He also highlighted the need for understanding intersectional issues, particularly in the Health Sciences Faculty, as it is important for students to understand the cultural diversity of our country and the challenges being faced in order to bring about solutions in their field.
T
Furthermore, Mahapa also noted the need to re-examine the UCT language policy and how to factor other African languages into the curriculum. One initiative by the Commerce Faculty is the provision of videos in which lecturers reteach important sections, with an option to watch the videos in multiple languages. This enables students to learn content in their home languages and Mahapa said other faculties are looking into piloting similar programmes. Mahapa said there is a need for faculties to shift away from the Eurocentric curriculum being offered. Mahapa said that more African literature should be offered in addition to Western literature within courses where it is possible. The SRC will be conducting a survey during second semester for students to suggest books and literature they would like to have available and to increase access to material in high demand by students.
Student demands are essential
The SRC will not be hosting any initiatives within faculties, but rather endorsing those held by individual student councils. The goal of the SRC is to set out a process so that future governance structures can follow this and build on the foundation being built this year. The Faculty of Humanities, which has set up a task team in
collaboration with the Humanities Student Council (HSC), has placed a key focus on transforming the faculty and curriculum. This task team is evaluating the Humanities curriculum, considering the opinions of various stakeholders, with a primary focus being on the students. One initiative of the HSC has been Academic Imbizos on various campuses, run by the academic chairs Lauren Joffe and Lauren Gildenhuys, aimed to encourage discourse on the issue. An Imbizo on “Decolonizing the Humanities’ Curriculum” was held on Wednesday, May 6th, during which students were encouraged to raise concerns they had with the current curriculum and present possible solutions. Currently, no specific departments are being discussed, but the African Studies Department has been mentioned frequently. A potential major in African Studies for undergraduate students is being discussed. This major will focus on interdisciplinary courses and broadening the current spectrum of African Studies to include more diverse content and courses. Another department, raised by students, is the History Department, as students wanted a course focused on precolonial African history. However, Ryan Prithraj, Chairperson of the HSC, said it was important to note that the changes are not focused on one department, but “the change requires a critical assessment of the faculty as a whole”. The HSC is not directly approaching any department, but the changes and issues with the curriculum are brought to the Undergraduate
Education Committee. Additionally, Prithraj noted that this transformation was “a collaborative effort with the Dean and all other stakeholders in the faculty”. Student demands are essential to implementing this change, but management of the faculty has also provided support to facilitate discussions on proposed changes.
Exam Tips
PAGE 6
CENTRE
A core course dealing with intersectionality Each faculty’s student council is working on their curriculum independently, but the next step in transformation may be integrating the curriculum amongst faculties. The HSC aims “to foster a culture of student interaction that actively engages with their faculty” as well as “to work towards a faculty that is inclusive both in an afro-centric curriculum and teaching praxis”. The Imbizos held by the Humanities Faculty will culminate in a Faculty Assembly, similar to University Assembly, provisionally to be held on August 6th. There is no clear timeline for when these changes will be integrated into the faculty, or other faculties, as the scope of changes that need to be made has not been established. In order to ensure that these plans continue in the future, the new HSC will be briefed on the plans of the current HSC and there are discussions of possibly setting up an independent work group to continue the work being done.
Burning Museum
PAGE 11
Because, Boobs
PAGE 13
Martial Arts Special PAGE 14
VARSITY, the official student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.
2
v74 e6 – 12 May
2015
News Bites Adam Kleinschmidt Appeal for increased aid to Nepal
Kathmandu – The United Nations has called for a dramatic increase in aid to Nepal following the earthquake which hit on April 25th. The UN requested $415 million for humanitarian intervention, but has only received around $22 million thus far. Thousands have been left homeless with extensive destruction to the area and delays in rescue and rebuilding efforts. Over 7 800 people have been reported dead. - The Guardian
News
Unrest in Baltimore Aisha Abdool Karim
n Friday, May 8th, an investigation into the Baltimore Police Department was launched by the Justice Department. This investigation follows weeks of unrest after Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man, was killed while in police custody on April 19th due to injuries to his spinal chord. The investigation was announced by newly-appointed Attorney General Loretta Lynch and will look into the use of force by police as well as whether or not the police are operating in a discriminatory
O
manner. If any unlawful or discriminatory practices are uncovered during the investigation, there will be changes to the practices of the Baltimore Police Department through a court mandate. According to Lynch, the need for the investigation became apparent following the unrest and protests in Baltimore, which showed that the relationship between the community and police “is even worse and has been severed”. Lynch also noted that this was not unique to Baltimore and said that the protests across America are the result of “generations of communities that feel very separated from government overall”.
Earlier this month, Lynch announced that the Justice Department would be launching a $20 million pilot programme for the use of body cameras by police officers. These cameras will provide a means through which the police can be held accountable and improve their relationship with the public. An additional $1 million will be used by the Bureau of Justice Statistics to study the impact of these body cameras. In addition to body cameras, Governor Hogan said a number of other bills to regulate police activity are currently being discussed. One of these bills would require police
British election sees Conservative majority
London – On Friday, May 8th, the Conservative Party were declared the winners of the UK general elections, gaining 331 seats in the Commons. This result allows Prime Minister David Cameron to remain in office for a second term. The May 7th election also saw the Liberal Democrats being reduced to 8 seats from 62, and the Scottish National Party gaining 50 seats. - Sky News
Burundi erupts after presidential announcement
Bujumbara – Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza announced on April 25th that he would be running for a third term. Violence erupted shortly after the Burundian state leader – who has been in power since 2005 – made his announcement. Over 600 protestors have been arrested and thousands have already fled the country in fear of political violence. - Al Jazeera
Xenophobia spreads to Western Cape
Paarl – Nine men have been accused of attacking a Somali shop-owner on April 29th in the farmlands of Groot Drakenstein. They were charged with assault and damage to property at the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on April 30th. This comes after the military were deployed to areas of Durban and Johannesburg, where xenophobic violence has been most rife. - Independent Online
Training the brain not to eat
Cambridge – A recent study at Harvard University has shown it is possible to manipulate hunger by targeting certain brain cells. By activating neural cells in rats and mice, scientists are now able to change the extent to which hunger is felt and the desire to eat. Through this new research, it is reported that more effective weight-loss programmes can be formulated. - The Telegraph
Image: Sgt. Margaret Taylor
officers to provide information to state officials about people who die in police custody. Governor Lawrence Hogan declared this state of emergency after an escalation in protest action on April 27th, the day of Gray’s funeral. The state of emergency was lifted on May 3rd and the Maryland National Guard withdrew from Baltimore. Six police officers have been arrested and charged after the medical examiner’s report, released on May 1st, declared Gray’s death a homicide. The officers are facing varying charges; three are charged with manslaughter and one is facing a charge of second-degree murder. All officers were released from prison on bail on the same day they were charged. Protests resumed in the area on April 29th when hundreds of people marched to City Hall. Similar demonstrations against police brutality were also held in other parts of the country. The protests remained largely peaceful with the number of arrests during the state of emergency decreasing from 235 people on April 27th to 18 people on April 29th. The unrest in Baltimore and the death of Freddie Gray follows similar instances of police brutality in other parts America. The issue gained national attention following the death of Michael Brown on August 9th, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot by police officer Darren Wilson, catalysing national protests against racial discrimination in police practices.
RMF Takes on New Occupation Aisha Abdool Karim On Thursday, May 7th, Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) held a march to #DecriminaliseBlack from the previous location of the Cecil John Rhodes statue and ending with a public address on Jammie Stairs. During the march students from the Open Stellenbosch movement joined the RMF. Workers also joined the RMF at the end of the gathering to show their support for the movement. The march aimed to draw attention to the disciplinary action being faced by student movements across the country.
RMF demanded that management provide a new space a On Wednesday, April 29th, the movement claimed Avenue House, an administrative building in Mowbray, as the new Azania House. This was because they felt their eviction from Bremner, the previous Azania House, restricted their ability to organise the movement.
After leaving Bremner Building, RMF demanded that management provide a new space and when discussing this, one of the proposed spaces was Avenue House. Students of the movement will occupy the new space until the University provides a new official space in which they can meet, organise and conscientise.
The movement aims to reach out to different campuses The building was taken peacefully, according to Brian Kamanzi, a member of the movement. Kamanzi said a group of students entered the building and informed staff in the building of what they were doing. The administrative staff in Avenue House were initially supportive of the occupation, but currently no administrative staff are working in the building as a letter was sent to the RMF saying the occupation was disruptive. O’Refiloe Mashope, another member of the movement, said they were unaware the occupation was disruptive until receiving the correspondence
from management. Mashope said the space is currently being used as “a strategic stronghold” to host sub-committee meetings. In addition to co-ordinating activities, the building is being used to provide a safe space in which black students can talk about issues important to them. The movement aims to reach out to different campuses and as such has not recreated the educational space of the previous Azania House, preferring to host events on campus.
the RMF has entered a different phase
Kamanzi said that the occupation would continue until the charges against students who are part of the movement have been dropped and management has engaged them in discussions to identify a suitable space for black students. Management has not yet formally filed any specific charges against the movement, but Kamanzi said there have been indications that disciplinary action will be taken. Kamanzi further noted that management
has been using the threat of charges in order to coerce the movement to engage with them in discussions. Thus far, only one student, Chumani Maxwele, has been suspended, although the reason for this was unrelated to the occupation. Following the removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue, the RMF has entered a different phase and Kamanzi said they are “trying to add structure to the things [they are] doing”. They have organised reading groups and discussions, and have been engaging with the student body in creative ways. Examples of this include the discussion with Achille Mbembe and an evening where RMF hosted a discussion with African feminist writers, such as Amina Mama, Rekopantswe Mate and Sylvia Tamale. Gerda Kruger, Executive Director of the Communication and Marketing Department, said they are engaging with students who are part of the movement and “consistently trying to bring them to the table”. Kruger said that the RMF movement had been offered a dedicated space and that management continues “to monitor the situation and to attempt to resolve it urgently”.
News
v74 e6 - 12 May 2015
3
Dealing with Cases of Sexual Harassment and Assault at UCT Follow-up on ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ Robyn Ausmeier he Discrimination and Harassment Office (DISCHO) is UCT’s main structure for dealing with cases of sexual harassment and assault. The central function of DISCHO is to provide a support system for UCT students and staff who have been harassed, assaulted or discriminated against. This support includes the provision of medical and legal assistance. DISCHO does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute or take disciplinary action against perpetrators. If a complainant wishes to take the disciplinary route, they are encouraged to go to the UCT Court, or else to take their case to the South African Police Service or state prosecutor for further legal action.
T
DISCHO does not have the jurisdiction to ... take disciplinary action Francois Botha, the Director of DISCHO, noted that DISCHO has been influential in providing committed and readily available support to students and staff who have experienced gender violence and harassment. However, he has acknowledged that there is a need for more action to be taken and agrees
that policies should be reviewed. Botha also argues that a greater focus should be placed on the issue by various UCT structures. In the recent sitting of Student Parliament, held on May 7th, the SRC announced that there will be a review of the role of DISCHO, as well as an evaluation of the Sexual Harassment Policy and Sexual Offenses Policy at the University. This review will also include an investigation into the implementation of policies. Issues with the current policies were brought to the SRC’s attention following complaints made during Transformation Month this year. According to Botha, the entire University needs to engage in further discussion around the issue and to “take responsibility for the continued implementation of the policies”. This can be done by raising awareness around sexual harassment and discrimination at UCT and by reminding students and staff of the current procedures, says Botha. He stated that DISCHO cannot be completely effective if they do not gain support from the rest of the University. DISCHO has different structures to deal with complaints, including Student Support Officers (SSOs), Sexual Harassment Advisors (SHAs), Anti-Discrimination Advisors (ADAs) and mediators. DISCHO offers formal and informal approaches to assault and harassment cases. Botha notes that their policies focus on the autonomy of the
complainant, who is given a choice on how to proceed with the case. Due to the sensitive nature of the cases, as well as the prevailing stigma around sexual violence, a number of complainants desire anonymity when dealing with their reports. DISCHO allows this confidentiality in their dealings and provides assistance and mediation without naming. On the other hand, formal disciplinary and legal action cannot be taken unless complainants make their identities known.
the entire University needs to engage in further discussion Another structure brought in to deal with conflict resolution at UCT is the University Ombud, which was introduced in 2009. The Ombud works independently to investigate and mediate complaints made by students and staff, employing an impartial and confidential approach. According to Botha, the Ombud has the freedom and authority to look into cases of harassment and assault with “more vigour and tenacity than any other process” and is able to take reports to the UCT Council for further action. Dela Gwala, a UCT student who has spoken out about sexual harassment and abuse at UCT, has provided recommendations for
Image: Megon Venter further action to be taken by the University in dealing with these cases. Gwala has stressed a need for better access to information and more awareness around the issue. She noted that this awareness should extend past the short speeches given during Orientation Week and posters stuck up around campus. Furthermore, Gwala noted that it is important to hold structures accountable for their action or inaction. She highlighted the need for current policies to be reassessed and for issues of sexual harassment and assault to be made a greater priority at the University. Another suggestion made by Gwala is for long-term provisions to be provided for survivors, which includes the establishment of safe spaces and areas for group discussion. She also asked for statistics on incidents of sexual offences and harassment to be made readily available to the student and staff population.
Botha has commended Gwala for raising these issues and noted that it is important for students to voice their concerns and take a stance against sexual offences and harassment.
Ombud has the authority to look into cases ... with “more vigour” “If anything, we need an army of Dela Gwala’s to turn the tide on patriarchy, on rape culture, on femicide, on universities worldwide struggling with the same issues that we seem so incapable of coming to terms with,” commented Botha. Management’s response to the previous article on reporting sexual harassment and assault can be found on page 7. DISCHO’s response will be online this week.
The Gender and Sex Project Nadijah Campbell The Gender and Sex Project (GASP) is an initiative, run by university students, which takes the knowledge learnt in class and applies it to practical situations outside of campus – educating high school learners about gender and sex. GASP challenges high school pupils to interrogate the roles of men and women in society, the difference between sex and gender, and other related topics in an effort to educate them about gender power from an early age. Abigail Branford, founder and managing coordinator of GASP, started the project at Rhodes University in 2013 and decided to bring it to UCT in 2014 when she began her postgraduate studies. She said humanities students have a lot of academic discussions around these issues without properly doing anything to change the circumstances. “GASP is essentially a project
which tries to make channels for university students to use their Humanities knowledge to improve the quality of gender education in schools,” said Branford. GASP travels to Harold Cressy High School and Oude Molen Academy of Science and Technology eight times throughout the semester. The classes have two to three volunteer facilitators who help lead 45-minute discussions developed by a volunteer logistics team. The volunteers undergo training with the help of local NGOs, such as Rape Crisis and the Allan Gray Center for Leadership Ethics, to ensure that they are equipped with classroom etiquette and knowledge of gender power. “We just go out to start conversations,” said Pieter du Plessis, one of the GASP facilitators. “We will never tell them this is right or this is wrong. We are taught to leave them with questions, do not leave them with answers.” Du Plessis explained that, according to the South African
Image: Porter Rockwell-Flickr
syllabus, Grade 10 is when discussions around sex and gender are meant to be held; however, many teachers evade these conversations or only touch on them briefly. “Some teachers might feel uncomfortable talking about sexuality, sex and gender,” said du Plessis. He believes that by letting university students take over it makes it less awkward for the teachers and
1st Floor, Atlas Building
gives the high school learners a new perspective and approach to issues around gender. He maintains that these discussions will have a lasting effect and can impact on the learners’ behaviour outside of the classroom and on a larger scale. In addition to educating the school pupils, Branford feels GASP also provides the university students with a better understanding of gender and sex for themselves.
She commented that through engagement with the surroundings, in addition to textbook work, the common student mind-set – that you can only start changing the world after finishing your degree – is challenged. Branford argues that shifting this outlook will ultimately benefit society as a whole. Branford hopes that GASP will become a service-based course in the near future.
Online This Week...
18 Main Road, RONDEBOSCH PH: 021-685 5927
Loadshedding by Dean Horwitz
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
DISCHO Response by Francois Botha
4
Editorial
v74 e6 - 12 may 2015
2015 Collective editor-in-chief Parusha Naidoo
editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za
Editorial
deputy Editor Jena Ascough
Parusha Naidoo Editor-in-chief
What Didn’t Tell Us in the Brochure
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-Leigh Braff, Sarah Summers & Amy Rinquest video@varsitynewspaper.co.za
news Aisha Abdool Karim & Robyn Ausmeier
or the next few weeks, the opening chords of David Bowie and Queen’s Under Pressure will ring in my ears every time I step into the Oppenheimer Library or the Humanities Postgrad labs. Upon entering, for a brief moment the tension is almost tangible as I watch my classmates bang against keyboards with such dedication and fervour that I’m sure someone will
F
opinions Sandisiwe Shoba & Adam Kleinschmidt
opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za
features Busang Senne & Anna Insam
features@varsitynewspaper.co.za
sportS Dean Horwitz & Catherine Fulton
sports@varsitynewspaper.co.za
centrespread@varsitynewspaper. co.za
Jena Ascough Deputy Editor
I love Friends. Like, looooove Friends. I have done every Facebook quiz (I always get Monica as my spirit guide) and test on it and I pass with flying colours (The cookie jar is a picture of a clock the shows 4 ‘o clock). So when I’m stressed/upset/tired/hungry/bored it only makes sense that I put on an episode or two. There’s something about the blend of Monica’s OCD tendencies, Phoebe’s tone deaf compositions, Rachel’s naivety, Ross’ unashamed nerdiness, Joey’s slowness and
images Morema Moloisi, Nicole Arend, Jian Yi Sang, &Megon Venter images@varsitynewspaper.co.za
Design Mari Mombers
design@varsitynewspaper.co.za
web Julius Stopforth & Bayanda Gumbi web@varsitynewspaper.co.za
App Developer Nikhil Gilbert Finance & Ads manager Thamsanqa Moyo & Lauren Van Haght
finance@varsitynewspaper.co.za ads@varsitynewspaper.co.za
operations manager Theona Geduld
Courtney Hope Copy Editor
Gape Masole Managing Editor
operations@varsitynewspaper.co.za
human resources Saadiq Samodien & Kauthar Abrahams
hr@varsitynewspaper.co.za
Contributors Sub-Editors Mmatseleng Mphanya & Elizabeth Visser
Telephone: 021-650 3543 Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union
are yet to be attempted. We also find the need to compete over who is the most drained and stressed – measured of course by all-nighters and darkening circles below our eyes. At somepoint you will find yourself saying “Na fam, I didn’t sign up for this. At what point did I sign up to lose my sanity? This was not part of the admissions requirements.” It may seem like a light-hearted tale of the life and times of most students, however, there is side to university life that none of us are quite prepared for when starting. We are informed from the beginning that we have entered “The number one university in Africa” (a claim we all should be questioning). We are handed glossy brochures filled with pristine images of UCT and its facilities. We are not told that countless students face academic and financial exclusion and are forced to leave mid-year. We are not told about the
The One with All the Friends
news@varsitynewspaper.co.za
centrespread Michaela Findeis
soon start short-circuiting. It’s fair to speculate that at some point every university student will experience the disconcerting feeling of lecture theatre walls closing in on them and the unintelligible hum of a professor’s voice resembling loud echoes of clanking metal. Or perhaps it’s just me that’s gone through the horrid nightmare. This generally happens at that time of year when academic fatigue hits hard. Tutorials, tests and assignments seem to consume every moment of your life more than usual. The once soft whispers of mythical creatures called Exams are no longer fiction and instead a cold fact waiting to be acknowledged. So you find yourself scanning class lists hoping that the letters ‘DP’ will appear next to your name minus the vestigial and dreaded ‘R’. It seems that every time you run into a classmate or friend you commiserate by sharing your mental to-do lists of academic tasks that
Have your voice heard. Send a letter to the Editor: editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za
Chandler’s dry quips that makes my heart happy. So, come exam time, Friends becomes my little virtual sanctuary, my white noise – I have it on all day, every day. Literally. You see, I have a system: I go through the entire series once a year. I watch seasons one to five in June and seasons six to ten in November. It seems to be the only thing that keeps me sane – although I do end up quoting it A LOT. I would like to take this opportunity to make a formal apology to my family and friends
stigma attached to extended degree programmes. Above all else, we are not told that UCT is in fact an extremely isolating environment where many students and staff feel disconnected and unwelcomed. These are not rare experiences that belong to a few people, instead they are the university experiences that we choose to ignore. So in the upcoming weeks, before we compare the troubles and frustrations of our unfair exam timetables, let’s be cognisant of our peers, the ones that got DPR for a course not simply because they were ‘lazy’, but because they were not given adequate academic support. Recognise that there are students who are not sure if their fees will paid because their funders have decided to be difficult. Lastly, remember that the UCT horrors you experience may be ten-fold worse for the person sitting next to you in class. who have had to endure so much Friends over the course of my life they’ll probably flip their lid if they ever hear the sound of ‘Smelly Cat’ again. But we all need our vices during times of stress. So do it: during this exam period embrace your vices, whether it be playing a series in the background like a soundtrack to your life, refusing to wear anything but pyjama pants, or having six cups of hot chocolate a day; because this time only comes around twice a year. Think of it as a special treat. You can deal with the aftermath once exams are over and you’re ready to face the world again.
Opinions
Carpe Librum!
v74 e6–12 mAY 2015
5
Articulate
w
Opinions Editor
Sandisiwe (Yogi) Shoba
What’s in a Name: Kunta Kinte, Kendrick Lamar and the value of a name.
n questions of identity I reference a prolific scene from the 1977 television mini-series Roots. The protagonist Kunta Kinte hangs by his leather-bound wrists from a wooden beam. “Your name is Toby” says an Irish slave supervisor, “I want ta hear you say it. Your name is Toby. You’re going to learn to say your name, let me hear you say it.” A pause. “What’s your name!” he yells. Our protagonist breathes heavily and in agony he responds, “My name is Kunta, Kunta Kinte.” The Irish master nods ironically and a fellow slave cracks a whip across Kunta’s back. The camera pans across the disturbed faces of the gathered slaves. “When the master gives you something you take it. He gave you a name. It’s a nice name. It’s Toby, and it’s going to be yours till the day you die.” After two more whippings, Kunta relents, “Toby. My name is Toby.” “Ay, that’s a good n*****,” retorts the supervisor. The story goes that Kunta, a Gambian slave, is sold to a plantation in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, USA. In paying homage to his Mandinka heritage and the freedom that his home represents, he refuses to change his name.
O
Image: Morema Moloisi
Claudia Harrison On May 2nd the world celebrated Independent Bookstore Day. This day seeks to encourage smaller bookstores in a market dominated by major chains and – more recently – free book downloads. The advertising drew on people’s first memories of reading, and this got me to thinking about my own as well. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where reading was encouraged. Likewise, books were available in abundance. My mother would read to me every night. Eventually, when I too was able to read, we took turns during our evening ritual. I will never forget how happy I felt when I read aloud (and unassisted) for the first time.
will our children ever know what a book smells like? Reading not only benefits us, but it links us to all other readers and writers, past, present and future. We become, by association, part of a long-standing tradition. This sense is greatly emphasised by the physicality of a book. Try as the Kindle advertisers might, nobody will ever be able to convince me that reading a screen is the same as reading a book. By its very nature, reading is a sensory experience. Our memories of reading involve the actual book. Whether it was crying on a train while reading the last pages of The Book Thief or following Harry Potter’s exploits by torchlight (because it was way past your bedtime), these recollections are punctuated by cover art, book thickness and, perhaps most importantly, the smell of the pages.
On that note, will our children ever know what a real book smells like? Too often these days children as young as ten months are having tablets shoved in their direction to keep them busy, similar to putting a dummy in a child’s mouth to keep them quiet. Sure, they will learn how to use a touch-screen device and will have basic computer skills, but they completely miss out on the proper reading experience.
reading is a sensory experience
There are programs to distribute free iPads to underprivileged schools, but these do not necessarily achieve the objectives they seek to. One of the main goals of these programs is to improve literacy rates. However, I believe that the schools would benefit much more from having a library added to their building or books donated to classrooms.
you can teach children to read
On a student level, we can also do our bit to improve our country’s literacy rate. Throughout the year there are many book collection drives for primary school libraries.
Donating books you no longer read, or buying children’s books for this cause, is a great way to give back. Biblionef South Africa is an organisation that provides children’s organisations with books in all 11 offical languages. Their ‘1 Million Books’ campaign has so far donated 1 million books to organisations that collectively impact over 3 million children. Their next objective is to have donated another 1 million books by the end of 2016. It costs R60 to donate one book, which makes this initiative affordable for many. visit their website at www.biblionefsa.org.za for more information on how you can get involved. Another avenue you can pursue is working with NGOs that specialise in teaching or tutoring underprivileged children. Most of these NGOs have a literacy skills facet, where you can teach children to read or increase the reading skills of people who may not be mother tongue speakers of their school’s language of instruction. SHAWCO’s Little Moon and Sitsaba projects focus on improving literacy among foundation phase and junior phase schoolchildren respectively. Even if you can only give an hour of your time every week, you will still be making an impact. South Africa’s illiteracy problem cannot be solved overnight, but if every person who can read imparts their skills to someone who cannot, then a marked improvement will occur. I implore you to raise the number of people who are able to carpe librum – seize the book!
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
The click is not exotic
For some, this scene represents the height of melodrama, but for me it speaks to the often overlooked significance of an individual’s name. Firstly, I must acknowledge my second year linguistics class and my knowledgeable father for some of the ideas which emerge in this article. We recently tackled the ethnography of naming practices and established that in many cultures a name is more than just an arbitrary human identifier. In many African cultures, the naming of a child is rooted in both culture and spirituality. In my Zulu culture for example, where children are given several names, the meaning of each name may speak either to the parent’s wishes for the child’s future; it may have a Christian reference; or the name may have a clan or ancestral reference. Clan or praise names themselves
are a huge sign of respect. They
speak to a rich heritage of family accomplishments and heroes and promote a huge network of family ties within the broader Nguni and Bantu speaking community. Some first names may speak directly to this such as ‘Zamanxamalala’ which means ‘of the Nxamalala (Zuma) clan.’ Therefore, the colonial history of Westernising African names casts a dark shadow on this notion of identity. During the time of missionaries and the adoption of Christian practises in South Africa, many black people were barred from giving their children Nguni or Bantu names (among others) when baptising them into the church as these were seen as non-Christian. As a result many black Christians ended up with Western biblical names. Name changing continued in Apartheid South Africa where (predominantly) names with clicks like Nqobile and Xolani would be Westernised to Mavis and John because the clicks were ‘too difficult’ to pronounce.
It’s an issue of cultural respect
The same is true of postapartheid South Africa where people with non-western names are given simplified nicknames in place of a concerted effort to acknowledge someone’s identity. But this is not just an issue of western and non-western or black and white; it's an issue of cultural respect. Just because I am Zulu I cannot disrespect a Sotho speaker and pronounce their name however I wish because I have some black license to do so. This is never a onesided blame game. Much like Kendrick Lamar invoking the spirit of 'King Kunta' in a refusal to accept today's watered down commercial hip hop, people should refuse to have their names watered down for convenience. An acceptance of 'the nickname of convenience' is rooted in a perpetuation of western dominance. If James can be pronounced without any hiccups then surely Xolile deserves the same esteem. Xolile is no slave and surely he has no master. It's all a matter of patience and mutual respect because this is postcolonial Africa, so the click is not foreign; the click is not exotic.
“When the master gives you something you take it.” The click speaks of culture; it speaks of identity; it speaks of whipping marks in a quest for dignity and freedom, a 'black man taking no losses'. That's what's in a name.
6
Opinions
v74 e6–12 mAY 2015
UKIP, I sleep Adam Kleinschmidt s the results of the general election in the United Kingdom filtered in, it was clear that their political landscape was changed forever. With a Conservative majority in the House of Commons, an utter decimation of the Liberal Democrats, an unprecedented wave of Scottish nationalism and the resignations of three major party leaders, 2015 will go down in history as a watershed year. The big question is: why should we care? I’ll draw your attention to another important political event of this month: the DA leadership conference. With two very different candidates pitted against each other in the contestation of the official opposition party, the dynamics of South Africa have shifted around considerably as Helen Zille has departed from the stage. In both examples, votes went to different corners, leaders staked their careers and fortunes, and the people ticked box after box after box. Democracy happened, people lost, people won, and the nature of politics cycled on. Ask any POL1004F student and they’ll tell you: “this is normal in any developed democracy...” I’m not here to preach on the benefits of democratic procedure. Instead, I’m here to talk about relevance. How much should you, a UCT student with far too much coursework, care about an election happening miles away? Sure, the DA conference is close to home, but we’re still ages away from an election. Didn’t we vote last year? I’m pretty sure Malema is a
A
Member of Parliament... It matters because like it or not the leaders of the nations with which we interact closely affect us directly. The world as we know it is growing closer and more connected. With the state of the international markets, the European Union and trade links between the UK and the rest of the world at stake, can we really afford not to be critical of who lives at No. 10 Downing Street? Let’s bring this home: you might not support the ANC or the DA, but where they fit in next year at the 2016 municipal election is of critical importance to our political history. Municipal elections hit everyone the hardest: after all, you like having water in your basin and electricity for your next episode of The Big Bang Theory, don’t you? Yes, I’m saying you should vote, but the issue goes beyond that. We need to engage meaningfully with the leaders of our time, be it abroad or local. With the first nonwhite leader of the DA and the rise of the Conservative Party in the UK making headlines this month, is it not time for us to pick up a newspaper, spark a conversation and be a part of the political process? The DA, by the most recent polls, will gain control over Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and either Johannesburg or Tshwane, a major coup for a party that barely held Cape Town eight years ago. The EFF are also set to upset local government compositions in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North-West Province. You don’t necessarily need to join a party, be a part of a rally or run around brandishing party merchandise. Just remember that you, the citizen, the individual, are part of a collective entity that helps determine the political future through discussion, negotiation, compromise and engagement.
Freedom? Whose freedom? Tumi Molefe n April 27th ,1994, South Africa held its first truly democratic elections. It was a momentous occasion that represented the fall of an oppressive regime that had lasted 46 years. Every year on April 27th we celebrate Freedom Day to commemorate this event. However, with freedom on our minds, and booze in our veins, was it truly appropriate to be celebrating our freedom on April 27th? It doesn’t take a cynic to realise that the government could and should do more to protect its citizens from oppression. This may sound like a strange statement considering that you, good reader, probably haven’t been oppressed recently (probably never) but there is still a large group of South Africans, who may not have been born in South Africa, but face discrimination and have the right to enjoy the freedoms given in our post 1994 constitution. The xenophobic attacks which have been prominent in the news lately are disconcerting, not just because of their shocking violence but also because they indicate a trend: a large number of South Africans simply don’t believe that their fellow Africans should be permitted to even live in the same land as them. What makes the situation even stranger is the fact that the xenophobia is limited not to European foreigners, whose governments did little to help end apartheid (merely with sanctions), but instead to fellow Africans whose own governments and institutions proved to be valuable allies in the fight against the oppressive apartheid regime. Throughout the armed struggle
O
Image: Morema Moloisi of the late 20th century, many South African freedom fighters received both refuge and training from neighbouring African countries – many of our leaders in the top tiers of government today received training in Angola. We received aid in the form of arms and supplies from Namibia, and even Zimbabwe did their part by housing many of the expats who had to flee for political reasons. Yet ironically, people from these nations, whose contributions during Apartheid were instrumental in us earning our freedom, face the brunt of the abuse from xenophobic attacks. Part of this may lie in the European identity on which South Africa prides itself . We may have 11 official languages, but parliamentary gatherings are held exclusively in English. Our statues and our buildings all take on a European
flavour. Even the standards by which we judge civility come from a European perspective. So why do we, as an African country, criticise our president for practicing polygamy when it is a part of his African culture? Surely if all South Africans are “free” Jacob Zuma should be free to marry whomever he wants (assuming all parties are consenting and of age). We as South Africans need to acknowledge that Africa isn’t inferior, because if it is… then surely we too are inferior. I am not trying to insinuate that it is in fact Europeans and European ideals that should be abolished or attacked. The idea of democracy is a European idea, and a really good one at that. It’s just worrying to see the lack of respect that Africans and African ideals receive despite the fact that we are all “proudly South African”.
Will Enough Ever be Enough? Grant O’Beirne
For as long as there have been people, there have been rulers, and for as long as there have been rulers, there have been those who rule with absolute power for as long as they can hold it. History is full of despots and dictators who are remembered hundreds of years later for their tyrannical rule. Even in recent history, we have watched as men take control with promises of reform and reorganisation, only to become oppressive leaders. They take power with their only goal being to run their country like a personal fiefdom until they are overthrown by the next generation of revolutionaries. People like Hastings Banda and Kwame Nkrumah have set a precedent for modern despots who are currently in power and are struggling, but succeeding in keeping it.
History is full of despots and dictators
It seems like we have learnt nothing from this history of oppression. Earlier this year, 71-year
Image: wikimedia.org/ DefenseImagery.mil
such states? Any and all opposition is squashed and the people are oppressed with propaganda and force. In the cases of Sudan and Kazakhstan it is far more difficult for the international community to take action as the repressive measures are less overt than in places like North Korea. In addition the leaders, Nazarbayev in particular, have made clear their support for the USA and the West.
the people are oppressed with propaganda and force
old Sudanese President Omar alBashir was re-elected with 94% of the vote. He was re-elected despite being wanted on charges of genocide in which 300 000 non-Muslim Sudanese were killed and another 2 million were displaced. Al-Bashir needs to stay in power to prevent being called before a war crimes tribunal in The Hague, yet he is still being allowed to run Sudan. Al-Bashir has also in the past allowed the establishment of training camps in his country for Islamist terrorist groups, the most notable
being an Al Qaeda group led by Osama Bin-Laden. Al-Bashir has been in power since 1989 and has long overstayed his welcome. He came into power through a military coup and has ruled as a dictator ever since. However, he is still in power as the resistance he faces is crushed or not enough of a challenge to even warrant a response. A similar situation is being experienced in Kazakhstan, where 74-year old President Nursultan Nazarbayev was recently re-elected
with 98% of the vote in his favour. Nazarbayev was put into power by the Soviet Union shortly after its collapse in the early 1990s. There has never been an election in the country that has met international standards for a democracy but Nazarbayev has stayed in office despite this. Our own neighbour Zimbabwe has been ruthlessly ruled by one man, Robert Mugabe, since 1980, and even now at the age of 91 he will not relinquish his power. How can the world deal with
It seems ridiculous that in modern times there can still be dictators who rule with such blatant propaganda and oppression. Omar al-Bashir is a war criminal and should be tried for the atrocities he has committed, not running a country. Nazarbayev’s faults are not as blatant but the fact remains that he is a dictator and should be removed. We cannot allow this to continue but stopping it is not a straightforward process. One thing is clear though, and that is that if the dictators of today are not removed, we will still have dictators tomorrow.
Opinions
V74 E6 - 12 MAY 2015
It’s the Words that Count Nadia Ghumra
and just adjusting a few words here and there so it sounds different. You learn to get to the point and deliver the relevant material in an efficient manner.
Image: Morema Moloisi
ast year, I was welcomed into the world of essay writing with many “how to” lectures. These included sessions on the best way to conduct research and make full use of the library’s resources, how to reference correctly in order to avoid plagiarism and how to actually write a decent essay.
L
turn off the word count feature
shouldn’t be constrained by these limits Apart from the rudimentary “You start with an introduction, waffle for a couple of paragraphs in the body and then end with a conclusion” lessons, there was one which was quite appealing. On hearing that before beginning to write your essays, you should turn off the word count feature, I turned up my listening devices to full capacity. We were being told that in forgetting about the word count, you don’t spend time trying to come up with a bunch of useless nonsense just so that you can make it within
7
the limits of the required quantity of writing. So now, with the word count off, you can write to your heart’s desire and once you have done so, you can begin your editing process. You cut out whatever you deem unnecessary and refine your work so that it now adequately answers the question. If that’s the correct way of going about writing, then why do we even
have a word count in the first place? As university students, we should now all be able to tell once our essay has reached its full potential. Back in high school, we were always told not to fret about how much the person next to us writes because quality trumps quantity. If we could write enough in the past, then surely we can write enough now? As a matter of fact, we are also
given this advice for essay-based tests and exams, so why does it change for assignments? We shouldn’t have to be given a number that will judge whether the essay is sufficient or not. Judging how much information is sufficient in order to adequately satisfy your marker should be an integral part of mastering essay writing. In this way, you ultimately avoid going on about the same thing
Some may argue that if there were no word limits then essays would either go on forever or would barely have ten phrases in them. I highly doubt that one cannot be serious enough to produce an essay of either stature, but then again I could be wrong. So perhaps that’s when marks should be deducted instead of when you are five words below the count or nine above. Therefore, an essay should be worth however many words you choose it to be. We shouldn’t be constrained by these limits, but rather be allowed to fully express our knowledge on the given subject. Conceivably, this may assist us in getting the essay done in time for the deadline, but that’s another issue which I probably wouldn’t have enough words to make a convincing argument on.
Response to VARSITY article on sexual assault and harassment Ms Kylie Hatton Deputy Director: Communications & Marketing Department, UCT The University of Cape Town needs to raise some important points about how allegations of sexual harassment and assault were unfairly reported by VARSITY, especially in respect of the article’s inaccurate and potentially damaging portrayal of the role of the Discrimination and Harassment Office (DISCHO). As part of the current discussions in the campus community, UCT is considering how it should respond to the many issues that have been raised and will be calling on students and staff to give their input on all aspects of transformation, including the role and function of departments such as
DISCHO. Unfortunately, the allegations against DISCHO made by Dela Gwala were not presented to DISCHO. Ms Gwala’s accounts of how DISCHO handled two cases are secondhand; there is no evidence that these cases were verified with the people concerned, nor did the writer discuss them with DISCHO. So DISCHO had no opportunity to respond to Ms Gwala’s allegations. As a result, the article’s description of DISCHO’s role in these cases is far from objective. This is not only damaging to DISCHO itself, but to the useful and necessary work it does in helping students and staff members to resolve matters of harassment and assault, as many have done at DISCHO with great success. DISCHO has no power to
prosecute an alleged perpetrator or institute disciplinary action; those are functions of UCT’s Courts Office, or, if the complainant decides to pursue legal action, of the South African Police Service and the state prosecutor. DISCHO’s purpose, is to support complainants who need medical or legal assistance, for instance in formulating a complaint about harassment or assault; investigate procedures on alleged transgressions; provide legal advice and assist in preparation for legal trial or university disciplinary hearing; and provide mediation if that is the option a complainant selects. Other DISCHO services are described on http://www.uct.ac.za/ services/discho/. The successful prosecution of a disciplinary hearing or legal case against a perpetrator requires the complainant to identify himself or
herself; unfortunately anonymous complaints cannot be brought to trial. It may be for this reason that a complainant will choose instead to request that DISCHO mediate a discussion between the complainant and perpetrator. The purpose of such action is to bring the perpetrator to a sense of the great wrong that has been done to the complainant, to allow the perpetrator the opportunity to apologise and to provide the complainant with an opportunity for closure of the ordeal. It is important to note that mediation is just one of a range of actions DISCHO explains to each complainant. As DISCHO explains on its website: “Either party may pause or end proceedings at any stage and revert to the formal procedure.” It is correct, as Ms Gwala said, that participants in a mediation
process are counselled about the need for confidentiality and they are asked to commit to this by signing a confidentiality agreement. If Ms Gwala’s friend was not happy with the outcome of the mediation process, she had the right to seek further counselling from DISCHO without breaking the confidentiality agreement. DISCHO plays an important part in enacting UCT’s policies on racism and racial harassment (approved by Council in December 2009) and sexual harassment and sexual offences (approved in March 2008). The suite of new social justice policies approved by Council in December 2009 also includes the appointment of the University Ombud, as well as the new Mediation policy. These policies are all available on http://www.uct. ac.za/services/discho/.
Exams! Are you prepared?
Compiled by Michaela Findeis Always dress warmly, always. No matter what the weather is like outside, dress for the next Ice Age if you are writing in the Sports Centre. Take extra care to do this if you have the 8am or 5:30pm slot. It’s just a theory of mine, but the Sports Centre may or may not be some kind of portal to the Antarctic. Just saying.
Get enough sleep. I know we like to think otherwise, but all-nighters aren’t that productive. Your brain can’t function at its best when it is tired and overworked. If time is of the essence and you aren’t able to get a full night’s sleep, make sure you manage to fit in at least 3 hours.
If anxiety gets the better of you at this time (hands shaking, lack of concentration, jitters, random bouts of crying), don’t be ashamed to take something for it. By this, I mean something completely natural, herbal, like Rescue drops. Speak to your pharmacist; they will gladly help you out. Nobody wants to get to the exam and have a panic attack.
If you don’t normally drink caffeine, now is not a good time to start. It may provide you with energy, but it’s not worth the crash that will result afterwards. If you’re feeling a little tired, rather go for a short brisk walk in the fresh (chilly) air to get your blood pumping, or drink a glass of ice cold water. The coldness of ice will give your body a little kick start. If you’re a planner, and you can stick to that plan, make yourself a study timetable, now already. Plan so that you have ample study time, as well as a healthy amount of sleeping and social time. Then stick to it. If you know you won’t be able to stick to a study plan, don’t make one. All that will result in is wasted time and a feeling of disappointment in yourself when you don’t stick to it. Nobody needs that at exam time. Make your notes fun. Use Reward yourself. Set goals and plan for breaks. We’re people, not robots. Summarise a chapter and then watch that YouTube video or have a bowl of ice-cream. If you finish everything for your subject on schedule, go grab a coffee with a friend. Use this
Exams are hiding right around the corner, waiting to test you and everything you know. Along with exam time comes stress, procrastination, unhealthy eating and general tears and drama. There are a lot of deadlines that occur right before the end of term and the beginning of exams, leading to the time period affectionately dubbed ‘hell week,’ leading us to want to forget about exams entirely, but in the back of our minds the stress is building. A lot of us have been through an exam period at UCT already, but for those who haven’t, this can be an incredibly scary time, here are some handy tips and tricks to hopefully put your mind ever so slightly at ease.
rocrastination is an evil affliction that many of us suffer from. Those of you who are able to just sit down and study/work, I commend you. For the rest of us though, things are a bit more difficult. You sit down to study, take out your pen and look at your notes…
P
Two hours later, your bedding has been changed, the fridge cleaned out, your cupboard reorganised and the dog has just had a grooming. On your desk, however, sits an empty page. For those moments when you just can’t fight through the procrastination, here are some tips to make it work it for you. -If things are dirty, clean them. By this I mean things like your laundry and the dishes, things that actually need to be cleaned. Don’t re-dust the shelves that you dusted yesterday. -Prepare some (healthy) study snacks. Snacking provides your body with energy and provides a
slight distraction as well. If your study snacks are already prepared when you finally sit down to study, you have one less method of procrastination to fight against. -Check that all of your university work is up to date and handed in. You don’t want to find too late that you’ve been DPR’ed and there is nothing you can do to fix it. -Ensure that you have everything you need to study and for the exams. Back up pens, a sharpener, another pencil, you can never have too much stationery. This way, once you are in the groove of studying, it won’t be broken by the need for a new pencil. - Do the least daunting thing that you need to do. Whether it is washing your car, going grocery shopping, booking flights back home or walking the dog, get it out of the way. Once it is done it can’t niggle away in the back of your mind when you try to study.
A cautionary tale lways, always make sure you know what’s happening when it comes to exam time. Make sure you know what time your exam is, where you are writing it, that you have the right date, and most importantly, that you know how you are getting there! This fun little story of mine occurred last year, in the first set of exams. I had already been out of school for two years before I started at UCT. This means two years of no exams, so the exam period was an incredibly daunting and stressful one for me. This resulted in one very frazzled Michaela, but I felt like I was still on top of the game. I’d already written my first exam, which happened to be the hardest out of all of them, and I was feeling confident for the next one. I woke up bright and early on the morning of, did some last minute studying, dressed as though I was preparing for an expedition to the Arctic (Sports Centre is cold), and off I went. After a quick detour to pick up my friend, we were parked at the train station, waiting for our train to come along. It arrived; we hopped on, took out our notes and began to study again. A few stops later, something seemed a bit off. The distance between the stops was wrong, and the scenery out the window was unfamiliar. When it
A
pulled into the next stop, I realised why. We were on the wrong train, taking the Cape Flats line instead of the Southern line. How this actually happened I’m still not entirely sure, it didn’t match the schedule but it happened, and we had to fix it, fast. There was no time to catch a train heading back the other way and then catch another one back to UCT. It looked like we were going to miss the exam. Frantic phone calling ensued. We tried everyone we knew who would be able to come and rescue us, but we either couldn’t get through to them or they were otherwise occupied. It also didn’t help that we had no idea where we were. The station looked dodgy as all hell, which led us to make the decision to go adventuring. There were a few wrong turns, some creepy alleyways that we decided against, and eventually we found what looked to be like an important road with a petrol station. We speed walked inside (the entire time the sky was threatening to rain) and began to stuff our faces with chocolate. The time was now 40 minutes before the exam was due to start, and things were not looking good. Eventually, we managed to reach my dad. Miraculously, after describing the road and petrol station, he knew exactly where we
were, and better yet, he was on his way to work and able to come and fetch us! We picked up our things and went to wait in the freezing cold, not wanting to waste a single moment of time when he arrived. There was still a very good chance we were going to miss the exam if traffic wasn’t going to be nice to us. Luckily, the traffic was free flowing and we were able to make it to the Sports Centre with five minutes to spare. Thinking back, the entire situation doesn’t seem that terrible. Someone came to our rescue and we made it to the exam on time. All of it could have been avoided through a simple check of the train. Yet somehow, in that moment, stuck in the cold wind with thoughts about missing the exam and failing the course running through our heads, it seemed like our world was about to end. I suppose that demonstrates exactly how much exams take over your lives during the exam period. For this exam period coming up I now know, double and triple check every insignificant detail. The stress of that situation is something I wish to avoid experiencing again. I suggest you learn from my silly mistake and double and triple check every insignificant detail about your exam as well. Make your exam period run as smoothly as possible.
strategy to provide motivation.
bright highlighters (heck, use the scented ones), colourful pens and stickers. Colour code your sections, highlight the important bits and just
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT study in your pyjamas, or in your bed. Beds and pyjamas are for
go colour crazy. It will make
sleeping and being lazy in. Your brain will pick up on this association and make it more
them much more interesting
difficult to study. If you have one, study at your desk or head to your nearest library or
to read over. Just don’t let the
coffee shop.
decorating distract you.
Do some light exercise in the morning. Get your heart rate up and your blood flowing, charge that brain of yours. The resulting endorphins and energy will help you to study for the rest of the day. It will also help combat the effect of sitting the entire day, and snacking. As annoying as it is, use the available past exam papers, and practise them in exam conditions. This will give you practice, test how much you know, provide an idea of what to expect and test whether you will be able to finish in time. Knock out an exam paper and then go and grab that well deserved slab of chocolate. Before the exam, don’t talk about it. Everybody studies and interprets things differently; somebody is bound to say something you don’t remember/have never heard of. All that will achieve is stress. After the exam, don’t hang around and discuss it. Throw it out of your mind and take a break before studying for the next one. Stay healthy. Get up at a decent time,
If you and your friends are able to study together without
shower and eat right. By all means wear
distracting each other, have study groups. A group of you
comfy clothes, but get dressed. The last
being studious puts a little bit more pressure on each
thing you want is to get into a slob slump;
individual to concentrate. If there’s something you don’t
this drains energy and motivation.
understand, there’s somebody there to explain to you.
10
Features
v74 e56– 12 may 2015
Fun with Flags Lauren van Haght t’s easy to spot a final year Accounting student along University Avenue. Not only by the bags under their eyes, but by the neon sticky notes protruding from the books that they carry like their firstborn child. This is a technique known as ‘flagging’ and it is used to quickly access a piece of information, just like a manual control-F function. The basic rules with flagging legislation books is that – because you are allowed to access them during exams and tests – you do not write in them, only underline or highlight. Whatever you deem to be important is then flagged with a sticky note, noting down the heading or section number.
I
Despite what you may have thought before, this method leaves room for a lot of creativity. Packs of flags usually have a variety of bright different colours from pink to purple to pulsating neon yellow. As PGDA student Damian Steggman says, “Colour is everything” when it comes to flagging. This is true,
You do not have to be an Accounting student to have fun with flags. provided you can remember your colour code. With so much freedom, you can create your very own system. For example, ‘Orange is for Assets and Yellow is for Liabilities’,
Image: Nicole Arends
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POST GRAD: Ali Findlay Whether you’re set to graduate at the end of this year, or whether you’re a forward thinking firstyear, the idea of post-grad is extraordinarily intimidating to the average undergrad student. Here are some essential tips and details about the Postgrad process. Do your research. UCT offers dozens of different post grad courses in all six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law and Science. Do as much research as you can about all the programs that are offered and make sure you choose the right one for you. Once you’ve selected a post grad program, make sure you are well aware of what you need to submit, and when, in the application process. Bursaries and scholarships. There are a variety of options for students looking for financial aid with their Postgraduate studies. Most often, assistance is granted on the basis of merit and/or need. It is important to remember that funding is not guaranteed and UCT will not always cover the full cost of your studies. The closing date for applications for merit and need-based assistance is October 31st. It is worth locating this information on the UCT website as there are various other funding options to explore such as research scholarships, prestigious fellowships and departmental scholarships. Don’t forget important dates. Honours applications need to be submitted before September 30th of the year preceding in which you hope to study. If you want to apply for Masters and PhD
studies, you and your supervisor will select a deadline (at any point during the year) for your application submission. Applications. Submit the required application forms at the right place on the right date. Application forms can be downloaded off the UCT website, or you can collect one from the Admission’s office on level three of the Kramer building on Middle Campus. Once you have completed the form, you need to return it to the Admissions office, together with the required attachments. Some faculties have specific departmental requirements that need to be completed and submitted along with your application such as tests or portfolios. Additionally, some departments require applicants to fill out a separate application form that must be submitted along with the UCT application. Represent yourself through your application. Remember that what you submit is a representation and reflection of you. The selection of postgrad students is made from the information included in your application. Those making the selection have nothing else to go on, so make your application as strong and succinct as you can. Now that you’ve got all the details, give postgrad some thought. Although the idea of venturing into the Jagger library, being sleep deprived for another year and paying even more for a parking disk can seem off-putting, getting a postgrad degree has undeniable benefits. Besides, another few months of beautiful views, Super Sandwich and awesome people can’t be too bad.
A Guide Through IFRS (I Flag Real Sad) Image: Lauren van Haght
this is something I lived by when highlighting and flagging IFRS for SMEs. You do not have to be an Accounting student to have fun with flags. It is very useful for any subject that involves legislation, but can be applied anywhere when using physical notes. In fact you might as well get a little booklet of flags to keep inside your wallet. Other uses include pointing out parking flaws, reminding your household members that it’s garbage day and binding your tutorial hand-in when you run out of staples. If you’re planning on becoming a competent flagger, here are some tips for you to follow: Buy a fresh pack of highlighters and a booklet of flags to match. You will also need a nice pen that doesn’t smudge and the handwriting of a literate elf. Once you have the necessary equipment you should set aside a good five hours to do your flagging, preferably on the weekend. Space out your flags nicely. If you plan to flag at the top, make sure you only flag chapters and then flag the specific sections down the side. When making the decision to flag a section, imagine the kind of question that would be asked in a test for you to need a flag at this section. Most important: don’t over-flag! There you have it, students. Best of luck for your exams and don’t forget to have fun with your flags.
Overheard In Transit: A Sampling of Jammie Jabber Nkhensani Manabe Stepping onto a Jammie Shuttle is always a gamble. You never know if the seats (when they are available) will be rickety, or if you will be at the mercy of a driver who is living out Formula One dreams. No bus ride is ever the same, and there is hardly ever a dull moment while you’re in transit. I wanted to compare my somewhat predictable daily Rochester shuttle experience to one on a route I had never travelled before. Since I always wondered where exactly the Forest Hill Jammie went, I got onto the bus feeling optimistic about seeing (and hearing) some interesting things. My mother always told me eavesdropping was wrong, but I still looked forward to picking up some juicy tidbits from my fellow passengers. While I pretended to read my
book, I took in what I could from the conversations around me. On this particular Wednesday afternoon, students had just come back from the long weekend. Questions like “How was your weekend?” and “Are you going to the thing this Friday?” were exchanged in the same breath. It became apparent that this recent blitz of public holidays coincided with the time of the semester when students are experiencing academic fatigue mixed with a risky type of DP-apathy. A girl expressed that she had only come to campus because there was a register that had to be signed. In the next sentence she was telling her friend how she would be missing the rest of the week’s classes because she was going home. The bus stopped at Varietas, and because I didn’t want to be the only one left on a strange bus, I filed out with the rest of the group. On the bus
back to West Stop, I got this feeling that people knew that I wasn’t a regular: everyone was eerily quiet. Obviously, they were protecting their Forest Hill secrets. I made a second trip to Forest Hill, and on that bus there were two students having a much more serious conversation about academics. In their view, “turn ups” would just have to take a backseat, because they were busy working hard so they could afford houses one day. This sharing of news and plans that was commencing among passengers made it clear to me that the Jammie was a space for a type of debriefing session. A quick 10 or 15 minutes in which to touch base with friends, and make sure everyone is doing okay. I quite enjoyed this little adventure of mine. Next, I think I will try to take a trip on the elusive Sandown shuttle.
Image: Nicole Arends
Features
v74 e6 - 12 may 2015
Little Amsterdam
11
The Burning Arts Museum mixes history with street art Busang Senne he Burning Museum Arts collective has swept the streets with wheat-pastes of eerie black and white photos. The photos are of forcibly removed Capetonian families lost in the archives of the District 6 Museum. It’s an ode to lived experiences forgotten, days of future past, the names of those forcibly removed and replaced by megalomania. It’s sticking it to the man, aka Rawson Property Developers, nouveau restaurateurs and those thinking their own present is the only one that matters, ignoring the history that this group of street artists want you to confront. The group consists of Justin Davy, Jarrett Erasmus, Tazneem Wentzel, Grant Jurius and Scott Williams who sought out the archives from the 1950s to 1970s of photographs taken by the Van Kalker Photographic Studio. Included in the harrowing portraits of families and individuals that are ghosts of the gentrified. Pieces of South African history in legislature have also been a focus with the Collective pasting the Natives Land Act. The scope of their message is as complex and as layered as the homegrown mixture of the wheat, water and sugar that makes the paste used to stick the images on walls, lamp posts, concrete and basically anywhere with a living, breathing surface. “We are interested in the seen and unseen, the stories that linger as ghosts on gentrified street corners; in opening up and re-imagining space as potential avenues into the layers of
T
history that are buried within, under, and between.” I asked the Collective a few questions on where the name came from and how they deliver their message that lives and breathes Cape Town: 1) Q: I know you’ve already answered this question but reader’s who are unfamiliar with your work are obviously intrigued by the name: how did Burning Museum materialise as a collective and how did you create the link between burning and remembrance? A: We initially wanted to call ourselves "Angry Black People" but realized that in this funding climate it could be career limiting. Part of our group identity is based on the recognition that the current structures for memorialization are selective. In order to be memorable and remember something "new", maybe new methodologies of remembering are needed - the old ones trashed and burnt.
“We are interested in the seen and unseen”
2) Q: Was it important for you that collective members are from a similar background and does this help in getting your message across and heard? The similarities in our background were what brought us together. We all come from the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town – or had strong ties to it. There were mutual expressions of interest to collaborate and those similarities just served as
Image: Morema Moloisi
a convenient “thread” if you will. It’s possible that this makes the message more coherent. 3) Q: How did the collaboration with Van Kalker Photographic Studio and District 6 Museum come about? All of us had some sort of relationship with the District Six Museum. Some of us as interns, some of us as attendees of their programs. Others as facilitators of their youth programs. We experienced the Museum’s Homecoming Centre as a “friendly” space towards artists of colour and so it was the first space that came to mind when we needed to meet. Use of the Van Kalker archive came about quite organically – as do most decisions in our collective. It was the most immediate vehicle for the topics we wanted to discuss. The imagery both familiar and unmistakeable to Capetonian communities. 4) Q: You’ve spoken about
including lost voices and reclaiming a stolen history of minority groups, how do you go about choosing which photographs (and therefore which voices) to represent? We do quite a bit of research when we are developing a body of work. It can be exhausting because we spend so much time with the material before we actually start putting the visual collages together. Our process includes writing out notes and riffs onto large sheets of paper which we paste onto our workspace’s walls. We discuss them, see what aligns to our goals and also which of these “phrases” sound as if they accurately express our thoughts. Some of these are
“It’s an ode to lived experiences forgotten”
quotes, there’s a bunch of neologisms and we regularly “speak” in Cape Flats vernacular. 5) Q: Where do the poetic captions on the pastes come from and how do you feel using these snippets of narratives can be tools to resonate with the photographs? There’s been enough portrayal of people as statistics. We see them as graphs, we see them as numbers on reams and reams of paper. Those representations do exist. Mainstream media and two-randtabloid newspapers also paint a one-dimensional portrait of people of colour. There’s a twofold mission in using these portraits. Putting a face to the numerous stories of dispossession and forced removals is one. The other is countering a stereotypical representation of people of colour through dignified portraits of families, family heads, mothers and children.
Out with the New, In with the Old We are in the Vintage Era!
Lebo Maragelo This past year has seen countless fashion trends that were hits and misses, fom the return and departure of the beloved bucket hat to the daring crop tops – which refuse to disappear regardless of the drop in temperature.
Campus has become a fashion feast for the eye
There is a time for everything, especially in the fashion industry, and I definitely think that it’s safe to say that we have officially entered into the Vintage era; the only time where you won’t be stared at awkwardly for fiercely going through your mom or dad’s closet looking for an outfit. I have always been in awe of UCT students’ sense of style and now that they are exploring vintage clothing I
am even more excited. Campus has become a fashion feast for the eye. Very few people, however, are brave enough to try this trend out; so I have scouted around campus and have identified the five must-have vintage items in your closet that will help you become old-school cool. The 80s Sweater Winter is on the way, and from what I’ve heard Cape Town’s winter is not a respector of man or fashion! So, what better way to keep stylishly warm than with an 80s sweater. These sweaters are usually knitted, bulky and have the funkiest prints. Definitely a must-have in your closet. Mommy Jeans Mommy jeans are high-waisted denims that now come in pretty much any colour. I call them magical jeans because they have an ability to make one taller and look really – I mean really – good in all the right places. Who would’ve thought that we would all be lining up to buy a pair of jeans that were predominantly worn by our mommies in the 80s? Creeper Sneakers These are sneakers with abnormally high and thick
Image: containergirl.blogspot.com
soles. They were first worn by soldiers in the Second World War to protect themselves from the harsh environments and climate. Fortunately, we get to wear them for fun. Popular brands like Vans have come out with their own versions of Creepers, so you have no excuse not
to get them. The Vintage Blazer This is the kind of blazer you don’t even need to leave your house to find. Trust me; your dad, uncle or grandfather has one, and you should just borrow it! The more patterns and buttons, the better.
Dark lips and CONFIDENCE Confidence is the only thing that can ever help you to pull anything off – from that bucket hat to even that resilient crop top – so get yourself a jar of self-confidence and some really dark lipstick and consider yourself part of the vintage club.
12
Features
v74 e6 – 12 may 2015
The Penguins of Boulder’s Beach: Anthea van den Bergh ew public beaches in the world can say that ‘penguins roam their sands’. However, what if I were to tell you that a small rocky beach in little ol’ Simon’s Town can say just that? Boulder’s Beach is a secluded beach in Simon’s Town that, among other things, hosts a party of over 2500 rare African penguins. Why can these penguins be found at this beach? Well, apparently they first came to the Simon’s Town shore in 1985 when a pair was spotted on Foxy Beach. Since then, they have steadily increased in population to what we have today. The colony is one of only three mainland African penguin colonies in South Africa, and so the coastline area is part of the Table Mountain National Park and its Marine Protected Area. The birds do not actually nest on Boulder’s Beach, but they do swim and roam around. Their nesting areas are actually on the neighbouring Foxy Beach which is monitored by the Boulder’s Beach Visitors Centre. Both are open 7 days a week, and charge R60 for adults. No student
F
discounts unfortunately. Indeed, R60 may seem like a steep price to pay, but do note that the beach is immaculately kept.
Who are these oaks?
oil spills from the huge oil tankers that pass ... are a major hazard Furthermore, African penguins are an endangered species. Though the current population of 179 000 penguins seems reasonable, consider that in 1930 there were at least a million African penguins in Southern Africa. In current times, overfishing has led to food scarcity and oil spills from the huge oil tankers that pass our shores are a major hazard to the birds. These environmental threats have seriously affected the population of African penguin. So I guess R60 isn’t too much if it’s also in the name of conservation. Just a funny fact, the African penguin used to be called the Jackass penguin, named after the donkey-sounding call the penguins
Image: flickr.com/Paul Mannix
make. However, it has since been renamed the ‘African penguin’. It is said that it was changed on account of the previous name’s rather-rude connotations. On a different note, I must confess to not actually liking Boulder’s Beach
Meme Culture Jemima Lewin
Her face scrunches up in disgust as she discovers she has won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is not impressed and naturally her expression shows this. As she plasters on a smile for the cameras, it’s too late. The cruel and savagely funny inhabitants of the Internet have seen the unimpressed scowl and will now immortalise it forever in a meme. Image: http://idlikearedo.com/2013/07/29/the-walmart-microwave-hunt/
as a beach. Yes, it’s wind-shielded and uncrowded. However, the actual sea by the beach is full of long-stem sea weed. So, for those not fond of their legs becoming giant sushi wraps, perhaps the beach is not so great for swimming. However, spotting
a penguin peeping his little head around one of the beach’s massive boulders is an especially heartwarming sight. So I guess a good book and a penguin around every boulder can definitely be enough of an attraction.
From UCT Just Kidding, to 4Chan, memes have taken the Internet by storm
UCT Just Kidding is extremely popular
that depict you as you are while in a blanket burrito. They are often used as tools against social injustices such as racism, sexism, homophobia and those people out there who really think hashtag activism is a real thing and should be given a cupcake. Image: memez.com/Wilhelmina McCormick
Do not underestimate the power of the Internet
The inevitable meme I was referring to is an oldie but a goldie. Meet McKayla Maroney, a 2012 Olympics medalist who got severely owned by the Internet voldemort, an online bulletin board, known as 4Chan. The name makes chills run down my spine. One does not simply call out 4Chan for anything found on the Internet unless you are trying to get harassed online. If you want to understand memes, their origin and their purpose, 4Chan is key. Often referred to as the underbelly of the Internet, 4Chan is undoubtedly the sole reason for many of the popular memes that sparked a mind-blowing trend. LOLcats, Rick Rolling and Chocolate Rain (Google this and thank me later) are as a result of 4Chan. Thank you oh so very much 4Chan! Your contributions to the world are
astounding! I’m really pushing my luck with that sarcasm. Today memes can be made with a simple app on phones. My 6-yearold nephew loves making memes out of selfies he takes. Speaking of people close to home, our very own UCT Just Kidding is extremely popular for its memes, which often make fun of student life at UCT.
If you want to understand memes, their origin and their purpose, 4Chan is key Memes are not just for laughing till your stomach aches and you can’t breathe anymore, or for when it’s 3am and you realise you’ve reached rock bottom as you scroll through images
As you can see, McKayla Maroney is standing with the president of the United States of America. That’s a big deal, people. He is pulling the now-world-famous unimpressed face. He chuckles after a few pictures are taken and cracks a joke with her. This is what the Internet has done. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the power of the Internet and its lovechild, the meme. Image: wikimedia.org/Pete Souza
Features
Because, BOOBS.
v74 e6 - 12 may 2015
13
The woman behind the implants did it for herself, and deserves to have her journey respected, not stigmatised Anna Insam
id you know that you can drive a car over a breast implant and it won’t pop? Breast augmentations (BA) are the numberone cosmetic surgery in both South Africa and America, whose trends resemble ours. With the first breast augmentation being done in 1890 in Austria, my Austrian heritage should have alluded to the fact that I would be born the smallest bra size and embark on my own BA journey. Deciding to upsize your twins is no simple task. Sizing of implants works in cubic centimeters – I chose 240cc’s, which is two teaspoons less than a cup. The same size cc’s can look totally different on two women (or anybody else undergoing the surgery) as the amount of existing breast tissue and width of your chest contributes to your final cup size. During the consultation you put the post-op bra on and try the implants ‘on’ inside. I went under the muscle to achieve the most natural outcome; the lower your body fat percentage, the more likely they will look like beach balls stuck on your chest if you get overs. As 70% of women in America
Image: wikipedia.org/FDA
D
do, I chose a crease incision; it does not interfere with breastfeeding and becomes invisible. Another big part of the surgery is the perceptions that come with it: the official medical journal of American Society of Plastic Surgeons May 2013, revealed that 98% of 225 women interviewed had their expectations met or exceeded, and that 92% of women reported increased self-esteem after surgery. I can personally attest to the empowerment this surgery brings. Common misconceptions include that women do it for men or that they are hideously insecure; we do it solely for ourselves and I never hated my chest. Due to my 8kg weight loss, I lost a lot of upper pole fullness of my breasts, hence
I had worked hard enough on my figure, where I could now exercise my agency further to mould my body how I saw fit. Being transparent about my journey would allow me to tackle the challenge of kicking that darn stigma to the curb! In 2013, almost 300 thousand women underwent breast enhancements and almost 100 thousand breast cancer survivor patients had reconstruction after mastectomy. It seems that the stigma is marginally less attached if you have had cancer, but anyone, for any reason, deserves to make the decision without being judged – your body, your rules. In contemporary society people are willing to celebrate choice in avenues from sexual orientation, to tattooing, to
Where are they now?
university degrees; choice to undergo breast surgery is still on the road to getting rid of stigma. In a survey conducted by researchers at UCLA and Cal State Los Angeles, of heterosexual adults aged 18 to 65, the majority of men were satisfied with their partner’s breasts. Of the women interviewed, only 30% were satisfied with their breasts. Clearly, the real ‘boobiebegrade’ – the real scrutinisers of lady lumps – are women. Whilst it may seem women are bending to society’s ideals of the feminine-physique, most of us see breast surgery as correcting a deformity rather than hoping to upsize our appearance for the opposite sex.
I hope I’ve made it easier for the next lady.
Many males have openly asked me about my recovery, which attests to how being transparent about this decision makes the surgery an accepted topic in the public realm. I certainly didn’t do it for males, but it’s incredibly progressive that they feel comfortable
enough to speak about it. Dialogue is taking place, reducing the stigma. Arriving at St Augustine’s they sent me straight to the shower – imagine my shock when the ‘body wash’ was the bright yellow disinfectant you see on gruesome TV shows that depict surgery. I had a good chuckle as I temporarily resembled Marge Simpson! Implants start off as resembling what is known as ‘frankenboob’; sitting high and tight on your chest, looking deformed and awkward. As they heal they ‘drop and fluff’; dropping into the pocket secured with internal incisions and fluffing means getting softer and gaining cleavage as the muscles relax. This journey isn’t the quick fix some perceive it to be. For 7 weeks one must sport the chastity belt: aka, the post-op bra; it looks like a sports bra and is made from a special fabric that helps the implants to heal in their pockets. You wear this 24/7, and trying to find clothes to wear that mask it is quite the challenge... Aha, so that’s why she’s in polo necks all the time and not showing off her cleavage! The time is soon, my friends. With 364 thousand women getting breast implants each year, I hope I’ve made it easier for the next lady.
The dilemma of watching a Pinkie and the Brain episode for the fourth time or surrendering the TV remote became a forgotten worry with the launch of DSTV in 1995. The shows that aired on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Boomerang during the late 90s and early 2000s are sentimental memories for hundreds of UCT students, but what happened to the stars of our beloved programs? Ali Findlay Kenan and Kel Who can forget the hilarious (at the time) escapades of Kenan and Kel and their love for orange soda? Since the show ended, Kenan Thompson starred in Fat Albert and has had supporting roles in several other films such as Snakes on a Plane and The Smurfs. In 2003 the comedian won a role on the legendary show Saturday Night Live; he is the longest serving member of the current cast. Kel Mitchell has appeared in films such as Like Mike 2 and Mystery Men and was the voice of a character on
the children’s show Clifford the Big Red Dog. Drake and Josh Josh Peck has made quite the physical transformation since Drake and Josh ended in 2007, but he’s been busy with a lot more than weight loss. Peck has acted in a number of films such as Red Dawn and James Franco’s Bukowski. He also leant his voice to the character of Eddie in the Ice Age franchise and has built up a large following on his Vine account. In 2014 Drake Bell released his third studio album Ready, Steady, Go!. Much of Bell’s post Drake and
Josh acting work has been voice related. He is the voice of SpiderMan in the animated Disney series Ultimate Spider-Man and has voiced characters in films such as A Mouse Tale and Space Warriors. Lizzie McGuire In 2004 the Disney channel show ended, to the horror of 90s girls everywhere. Since her days as Lizzie, Hilary Duff has excelled in both the acting and music world. From staring in classics like A Cinderella Story, Duff has also had cameo roles in TV series such as Gossip Girl. Presently she is the star of a new TV series,
Younger, and is busy working on her fifth studio album. Adam Lamberg, who played the role of Gordo, is no longer part of the acting world. Lamberg is a development associate at the Irish Arts Center in New York City and is busy completing his Master’s in Public Administration. Lalaine Vergara-Paras, who played Miranda, was arrested in 2007 for the possession of crystal meth. She pleaded guilty to the charge and her record was cleared completely after completing a treatment program. Since then, Vergara-Paras secured a small part in the movie Easy A alongside Emma Stone.
Image: Mari Mombers
14
v74 e6 –12 may 2015
The top 10 reasons to do Martial Arts @ UCT
Muya Koloko
1. Self-Defence: the bread and butter of the martial arts. Selfdefence is like medical aid - it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. 2. Conditioning: this goes beyond fitness. Doing a martial art also gets your body attuned to certain stress, thus making sure that even if you are attacked, your body (and mind) will not be completely stunned from to the unfamiliarity of the attack. 3. Confidence: through doing a martial art and learning more about oneself, a person's confidence grows. One also gains humility, and so avoids arrogance despite knowing how to defend oneself.
Varsity Sports Special: Martial Arts
The art of Martial Arts at UCT Compiled by Dean Horwitz and Catherine Fulton aekwon-Do Taekwon-Do can be loosely translated from Korean as the art of foot and fist fighting. The core philosophy is reflected within the 5 tenets of Taekwon-Do: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit. The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) style practised by the UCT club is unique in three aspects. Firstly, we employ sine
T“
wave movement to generate force. Secondly, we use breath control to enable the coordination of power and speed. Thirdly, Taekwon-Do's emphasis on kicking can turn the foot into a formidable weapon.” - Daniel Kusza Tai Chi “Tai Chi is a martial art for those who want to learn how to defend themselves by being soft and non-aggressive, as martial arts can be dangerous. Tai Chi deals with one's worst enemy... oneself. At UCT, we learn forms/routines,
sometimes doing partner work. We train twice a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 17:30-18:30 for juniors and 18:30-20:00 for seniors, while having meditation once in a while. We also have an annual camp, movie nights, tea tasting, social hikes, as well as workshops with other Tai Chi clubs." Boitumelo Moloto
beginners are always welcome and it is never too late to start Judo “Judo is a modern martial art derived from Japanese Ju-Jitsu which utilizes techniques such as throws, holds and joint locks. It is a form of fighting which exploits the mechanics of the human body to use its own weight against itself. UCT’s Judo club is made up of all sorts of people, anyone can do it! Our Sensei, Shaun Woodman, will help you achieve your goal, whether it is fitness, winning at competitions or learning self-defence techniques. With UCT Judo Club, beginners are always welcome and it is never too late to start.” - Richard Welsh
4. Awareness: linked to conditioning and confidence, a big plus of practicing a martial art is that it teaches a person to be more selfaware. Additionally, one gains the ability to conduct threat assessments in their environment and act accordingly. 5. Relationships: practicing a martial art means working closely with other people. This often leads to lasting friendships, a sense of community, and sometimes even romantic relationships. 6. Stress relief: after dealing with the stresses of life, striking, throwing, ‘locking’ and strangling in a controlled environment helps take the edge off. 7. Discovery: this is often summed up in the phrase "I never knew the human body could do that". Martial arts offer a great education about how the human body works. 8. Application: a lot of the principles in martial arts can be applied to other aspects of life including business, relationships and academics. 9. Fashion: martial arts tend to have fabulous outfits. 10. Value for money: martial arts clubs at UCT provide good value for money both in terms of actual training, and social events.
Dean Horwitz Dean Horwitz: How did you get involved in Karate? Daniel Schutte: When I was small I used to love the fighting scenes in movies and really admired the heroes when saving people in distress. I was fascinated how every technique is micro-calibrated to prevent yourself from getting injured but also to subdue your opponent. And the way the moves are reflex to a fighter was incredible to me. So my friend started with karate when we were 8 years old and I joined him. I fell in love with karate after that. DH: Why did you choose Karate? DS: Karate was a way to integrate my fantasy of having fightingreflexes to protect those around me, into reality.
Images: Vumani Mandoko
Karate “Karate is a striking martial art. Unlike Judo or Ju-Jitsu, Karate practitioners (called Karateka) focus on striking their opponents with their hands and feet, employing power and speed. Additionally, Karate places a heavy emphasis on tradition, self-discipline and respect. The club trains mainly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 18:30-19:30. The club is registered as part of Karate South Africa (KSA) and as a result is able to attend any KSA tournaments." - Julius Stopforth Ju-Jitsu "Ju-Jitsu was developed in Japan, and is used as a form of self-defence around the world. Ju-Jitsu is unique in that it is ideal for people of various shapes and sizes. It allows a person to be able to use their opponent’s weight to their advantage by using the principle of ‘Maximum effect, minimum effort’. In the Ju-Jitsu club at UCT, we train at the Sports Center Hall 3, on Wednesdays and Fridays from 16.30 to 18.30. The Ju-jitsu club also likes to emphasize and build personal connections within its members, thus we hold a lot of socials and pub nights, along with martial arts movie screenings. We also put a great focus on outreach, interacting with various residences on campus and working with SHAWCO on offering basic self-defense classes.” - Vumani Madonko Aikido “Aikido, which translates to the way of the harmonious spirit, is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba in the early 20th century. The philosophy behind Aikido is to defend yourself while also minimising the damage to your attacker to avoid escalating conflict. Aikido at UCT trains on Tuesday (6pm) and Thursday (7:30pm) evenings as well as Sunday (10:30am) mornings. As a part of the Aikido federation of South Africa we participate in monthly seminars where we train with other dojos in the Cape Town area.” - Nkosi Vundla
An interview with a karate champ DH: Can you tell us about some of your achievements to date?
Karate teaches you self disipline DS: The first time I was national Karate champion was in 2006. Since then I have been SA champion several times or placed 2nd or 3rd. I received my black belt in 2010. I was awarded Protea colours for the first time at the age of 15 in 2011. In the same year I competed in the JKS (a certain branch of styles in karate) Karate World Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland where I obtained a 3rd place for individual fighting and where my 2 teammates
and I (team South Africa) obtained the World Champion titles in team fighting. This year I placed 2nd at the national championships. DH: What is your greatest achievement to date? DS: In 2013 I represented South Africa with Protea colours at the World Junior & Cadet and U21 Championships. This is rated as the toughest competition in the world and every country is allowed only one athlete per division. DH: What are your goals for the future? DS: I want to take back my title as South African Champion and compete, again with Protea colours, in the Senior World Championships and make South African history by winning a medal. I also want to help students at UCT unlock their full potential with karate. There are
excellent Karnatakas here, and they are flourishing. DH: How does Karate help you with your studies and vice versa? DS: Karate teaches selfdiscipline which helped to mould the motivated and determined person I am. It is a great form of exercise and relaxation to manage stress. On the other hand, studying the human body will definitely give me a much broader idea of how it works and I will be able to apply it to my karate to become better.
The first time I was national karate champion DH:
Would
you
encourage
others to get involved in Karate? Why? DS: I would definitely encourage others as it teaches you selfdiscipline, focus, self-defence and a greater understanding of your body and its capabilities. On top of it all, it is an extremely fun sport that relaxes and excites! DH: What would you say differentiates Karate from other martial arts? DS: The emphasis in karate is striking techniques, such as punching, kicking and openhanded techniques. This is different to arts like Judo and Jiu-Jitsu where the focus is on takedowns, throws, grappling and groundwork. Karate is a traditional Japanese discipline and focuses on precision of form and power generation with techniques.
My first time shooting a Varsity Cup game
All four of UCT’s rugby teams continued their fine start to the season with comprehensive victories over SK Walmers. The scores stood as follows: 1st team 45-23, 2nd team 47-0, 3rd team 29-0, and U19 1st team 52-3. The 1st team is currently unbeaten and will be looking to continue this when they meet UWC on Saturday.
The Ultimate Competition
UCT’s Ultimate Frisbee teams competed against the top 20 Ultimate teams in South Africa over the weekend of April 23rd to 27th in Bloemfontein at the South African Ultimate Championships. The 1st team made it all the way to the semi-finals before being defeated, while the 2nd team managed a respectable 16th place. The 1st team won their 3rd place playoff to finish the tournament on a high. The UCT 1st team also won the Cape Town Summer League for the 2nd year running, winning 12 out of 14 of their games and maintaining their impressive record in the league.
The best University Men’s rowing team in the country
The UCT Rowing team competed at the South African National Rowing Championships in Gauteng on April 25th and 26th, earning a very impressive series of results including two 1st places, a 2nd place and two 3rd place finishes over the week. To top it all off, the University of Cape Town Rowing Club also won the trophy for the Best University Men’s Eight.
Varsity Sports dominates local television
Varsity Sports Sevens, Women’s Volleyball and Women’s Hockey has been dominating Supersport coverage over the past few weeks. At the Varsity Sevens tournament the UCT Ikey Tigers managed to win the Plate trophy while our Volleyball girls finished 5th. The Varsity Hockey tournament is taking place over the next two weeks with our womens’ side struggling in their first tournament but looking to improve over the next two tournaments.
Local and International Sports wrap-up Joe Pietersen to play for Sharks
Cape Town’s own Cheetahs utility back, Joe Pietersen, could further his career in rugby in the Sharks team. Pietersen joined the Cheetahs ahead of this year’s Super Rugby season, but may move on to Durban to play for the Sharks once the Currie Cup starts.
SA’s top mountain biker to tackle next championship despite injury
Philip Buys, South Africa's top crosscountry mountain biker, aims to tackle the African Continental Mountain Bike Championships in Rwanda on Sunday, despite a shoulder injury. He states that the shoulder injury is not to stand in the way of qualifying for the 2016 Rio.
Getting in on the action Faine Loubser
Dean Horwitz and Catherine Fulton UCT Rugby continues its winning start to the season
v74 e6 - 12 May 2015
15
Amateur action sports photographer, Faine Loubser, discusses her passion for the art of capturing pin-point manoeuvres and shares a few tips for anyone interested.
Sports Bites
UCT Sports wrap-up
Sport
Image: Jian-Yi Songw
Jian-Yi Song At the beginning of the year I landed a job with Ikeys Vibe to photograph the Varsity Cup games and it definitely came to me as a lucky opportunity. It was my first day at Plaza Week, and I was just an ordinary first year student signing up for the PhotoSoc society. Unexpectedly, they asked if I was able to shoot sports photos as they needed a sports photographer for the Ikeys Vs Maties game. Luckily, I had prior experience in this type of intense/action photography. In high school, I gained experience by shooting all the sports games, especially the rugby games, so I’m not completely clueless. But this was no longer high school, now we were talking about the ‘big league’ rugby, Varsity Cup games!
It’s a BIG lens with a BIG zoom, and it performs incredible magic! This was an opportunity not to be missed, so of course I accepted it. Monday evening, the night of the game… With all the hype building up to it, I knew it would be a big one. I had to step up my skills ahead of this challenge. All preparation was made carefully. I ensured that my battery was full, my equipment was in good shape and that my lenses were clean. My main gear used for shooting the game was a Canon 650 DSLR, with a 70200mm f2.8 lens and a monopod. I know at this point I may be mentioning all these alienating technical numbers that nobody understands. Long story short, it’s a BIG lens with a BIG zoom, and it performs incredible magic! As I walked onto the Green Mile with my media pass I felt invincible. Well, it was the only feeling I got when I passed the gate for free. I started taking crowd photos of the audiences and asked for photographs in various ways, saying: “Would you guys like a photo? It’s for Ikeys Vibe!” or “You guys have no choice, you will be in this photo”. Generally people were very keen to be photographed. When the national anthem played, I captured the moments of two proud universities, two proud teams and a proud nation. From the first kick, all the cameras around me went off like a machine gun’s trigger. The continuous clicking was heard all around. Even though the other photographers had better gear and bigger lenses, it did not discourage me. Although I envied all of the fancy equipment that the other photographers owned, I was there to capture the game, just like everyone else. Throughout the whole night I moved from one side of the field to the other, following the action of the game, anticipating the perfect moment to capture. Most of the fellow photographers and I were so close to the game that we could have been tackled by the rugby players. It was by far the best front row seats that one could get. When the game had finished, I was totally exhausted but content with most of my shots. This opportunity not only gave me the chance to better my skill but the chance to expose myself to a ‘pro league’ experience; one that I would never forget.
lmost everyone likes (or doubletaps) a good action sports photo. The sporting world practically revolves around the pin-point manoeuvres executed by the athletes and everyone just loves getting a frozen view of their abilities. Not only do I enjoy and appreciate looking at these photos, I also relish being able to capture some of these moments myself. From the moment I received my first point-and-shoot camera - at the age of 10 - I treasured getting out to take action photos. Initially it mostly consisted of my brother’s Grade 2 rugby matches (no judgment please). My focus has now evolved on to more ‘extreme’ sports such as surfing and skating. In my opinion, the best part about action sports photography, is capturing and sharing the ‘stoke’ of the sport, whether it’s an incredible air manoeuvre or a crazy tube-ride, or just simply showing the expression and style of the sport. One of my main attractions to sports photography was the ability to take something extremely high-paced and to reduce it into one frozen moment that captures the motion of the athlete and sometimes the context surrounding it. This is difficult to achieve, and I definitely don’t think that I have captured that perfect moment myself. Despite this, I draw my inspiration from action-sport photographers who I believe have achieved it. Locally, Kelvin Trautman is definitely one of my main inspirations. The manner in which he combines nature and the athletes is a display of unique and dramatic perspective. Internationally, Rutger Pauw came to my attention through a mind-blowing image capturing both Red Bull biker
A
Danny MacAskill taking a jump off a ledge, and the solar eclipse (it was not photoshopped). Another appealing aspect of action sports photography is the addition of danger and risk that can be involved in getting the shot. Through my reasonably short amateur career of taking action photos, I’ve had a few close calls. In one instance I was shooting surfers in Kommetjie and failed to move away or duck-dive early enough as one of the guys was surfing towards me. The result was me being clipped on the head by one of the fins of the surfboard. In another instance, a skater bailed off a rail section and I almost ended up bailing with him. But as they say, “You’ve got to risk it to get the biscuit!” If you are considering trying out action photos, here are some tips that I have found to be useful: 1. Use your burst mode setting. This will allow you to take photos at a rapid rate which will increase your chances of getting the winning shot. 2. Make sure that you understand or know the sport that you’re photographing, as this will increase your ability to predict when the perfect shot will happen and position yourself accordingly. 3. Location is everything! Getting up close to your subject will most often make your image better. It will also give your audience a clearer and more enjoyable viewpoint of the sport. After all, few people get to see the sport from such interesting angles. 4. Always make sure you have an empty SD card and a fully charged battery. You don’t want something as silly as a dead battery to prevent you from getting a shot worthy to be featured in the next National Geographic. So get out there and GTS (get the shot)!
From the Bench Dean Horwitz Welcome to the 6th edition of Varsity Newspaper Sports. The year is flying by and this is our last edition for the semester. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting in contact and getting to know some of the UCT sports personalities and enjoyed celebrating their victories with them. For an updated list of results have a look at the website where I have upload March and April’s results and will be uploading results from May when the semester ends. Welcome to Catherine Fulton, who takes over from Fanie van Zijl as my deputy and brings some exciting and fresh ideas to the sports team. Catherine’s first article in her new role covers the fantastic fight between Mayweather and Pacquaio which highlighted the more technical aspects of boxing have a read on the back page. This week we look in-depth at martial arts, a range of sports which often appear deadly and dangerous yet teach incredible self-control, discipline and respect. This in combination with the technicality of the sports makes martial arts something that every sports fan should watch and admire. “It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up” -Vince Lombardi Good luck for exams! Over and out. Dean
Image: Faine Loubser
FREE ONLINE COURSE
What is a mind?
Breath by Pippa Skotnes
Sport
What to Watch
May 12th - Champions League Semi-Final 2nd leg: Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona (TV)
VARSITY
May 13th - Champions League Semi-Final 2nd leg: Real Madrid vs, Juventus (TV) May 16th - Marriot London 7s Tournament (TV) May 16th - UCT A Ruby vs. UWC (UWC)
The fight of the century Mayweather was capable of handling Pacquaio’s style, choosing his punches carefully and coming out with a far better success rate, according to CompuBox (the computerized punch scoring system).
Spectators witnessed Mayweather uphold his reputation and record
Image: HBO.com
Catherine Fulton he battle between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather was dubbed the ‘fight of the century’ with it being one of the most lucrative and widely watched boxing match of all time. Tickets were sold out in a mere 30 seconds after going on sale
T
to the public and many die-hard fans were forced to pick up tickets on the black market. The match took place on Saturday, May 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the thousands of fans who gathered to watch, there were also celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. Spectators witnessed
Mayweather uphold his reputation and record, remaining undefeated after 12 rounds of fighting Pacquaio with a score of 48-0. Both boxers were quite an even match, yet have different techniques when it comes to the boxing ring. Pacquaio is known for having quick and hard punches rather than slow, thudding blows. Despite this,
According to CompuBox, Mayweather landed 67 more punches than Pacquaio throughout the match. The fight was also scored in favour of Mayweather by 16 out of 18 media outlets. Known as ‘Money Man’, Mayweather was expected to take home about $82 million. He also received a trophy of the championship belt, created by the World Boxing Council which is valued at $1 million. Although Mayweather had won, Pacquaio did not leave empty handed, with an estimation that he would go home with about $42 million. In addition, the sponsorships for his shorts were worth approximately $2.3 million, being generated by six brands. While the decision was
unanimously in favour of Mayweather, Pacquaio claimed to believe that he had won. Hours after the fight, Pacquaio stated that he had injured his right shoulder in April during a training exercise. Pacquaio further mentioned that he re-injured his shoulder during the fourth round of the fight, and claimed to be ineffective after that. However, he failed to disclose that he had a shoulder injury in the medical questionnaire ahead of the match, and may face prosecution for perjury.
Mayweather was capable of handling Pacquaio’s style Although Pacquaio will be inactive for a few months due to his shoulder injury, he stated that he would be willing and able to fight Mayweather again once the state of his shoulder improved. If Pacquaio’s shoulder was a hindrance for him during the fight, it can be speculated that in the case of a follow-up match, he could prove to be a challenge for Mayweather and his closely guarded unbeaten record.
A Semester of Sport
Zuko-Thando Madodonke
Oh, what's that? The premier league is coming to a close? The Masters is over? Where did the past five months go? Well, it all comes down to the age old saying "time flies when you're having fun", and boy has it been fun. I'll give you the bad news first: the Proteas choked. I'm not surprised by the fact that we were beaten by the Black Caps, because en route to the semi-final the Proteas lost two games to India and Pakistan (D/L method). If you believed New Zealand was going to win, you had very good reason. They had annihilated England, sent Sri Lanka packing and edged none other than Australia in a thriller at Eden Park. One important factor to note is that all of their matches leading up to the final had been played in New Zealand and the final was to be played at the MCG in Australia. It was a one-sided affair that upset many because the underdogs hadn’t won. Instead, Australia wrapped up New Zealand in an easy 7 wicket victory.
Where did the past five months go?
Winners know how to win. Floyd Mayweather Jr. showed us this in the fight against Manny Pacquaio.
Many considered this to be "the snore of the century", as the fight was nothing new. Typical Mayweather, hit and don't get hit. Mayweather won, and deservedly so. Pacquaio did what he could but as he said, “It’s not easy to throw a lot of punches if he's moving around".
I’ll give you the bad news first: the Proteas choked Turning our attention to what Jordan Spieth did at the Masters, the only argument would be whether this was the most comprehensive victory of all time. Augusta National welcomed the world's best golfers, only to have Jordan Spieth rewrite the records books over and over again. It's been a while since the Barclays Premier League was decided a whole three weeks before the end of the season. Two words: 'Jose Mourinho'. The master tactician consistently held up the notion of "winners knowing how to win". Chelsea have been consistent, yet predictable at times. Arsenal fans were chanting "boring boring Chelsea" when the two met in the season's second half. Mourinho had this to say about it: "You know, boring I think is 10 years without a title. You support the club and you're waiting for so many years without a Premier League title, so that's
Image: Camilo Villegas very boring.” Now for some rugby. The South African conference is led by the Bulls with the Stormers breathing down their necks. The Bulls are yet to go on tour which is why it would be safe to bet your money on the Stormers ending top of the conference. The Lions have been impressive this season so far, recently dominating on
an overseas tour. The Cheetahs and Sharks have been dismal this season, and are now just playing for pride. The New Zealand teams have been consistently dominating, as three of their teams are currently in the top six spots (being the play-off qualifiers). Reflecting on the Australian's teams, their national team has dropped to 5th on the IRB world ranking, which
says a lot about their performance this year. Five months down the line and there's still more to come, so be sure to wear your three-season-old jersey. Also be sure to shout as loud as you can at the ref on the TV screen, because contrary to popular belief he can hear you, he just chooses not to listen.