Student

transport woes

Grahamstown
airport grounded

Its a (wo)mans
world

The Oppidan Press

Edition 3, 25 March 2015

Rhodes here to stay?

The Oppidan Press 25 March 2015

News Features
Students fight for space on Oppidan Bus
Nkcubeko Balani

ast year the SRC put forward a plan to

improve and then sustain the Oppidan
transport system. However, the SRC is
currently attempting to deal with mounting
complaints from the student body about the
service, which was due to end at the beginning
of this year.
SRC Oppidan Councillor Siyanda Tyobashe,
who served in the SRC-elected task team to pursue the matter of the cancellation of the service,
explained that one of the reasons the transport
system was to be ended was due to concerns over
the legality of the operation of the service.
There is legislation in which it states that
a higher education institution may [only] provide
transport if it is for cultural, sport and academic
reasons, Tyobashe explained.
However, she disagrees with the argument
that the shuttle service is in contravention of
this legislation and notes the importance of the
service for the student body. Students study at
the library until late and they need to get home
safely after that, she said. And at times there
are sport tournaments or matches that Oppidan
students take part in and they need this transport
[then] too.
Following discussions with staff and
consultants, the University management and
SRC President, it was concluded that the Oppi

The Oppidan Bus is a necessary mode of transport for students, but a lack of funds means that
students will continue to struggle for space in the small vans. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS
Bus would not operate indefinitely but would
be available until a permanent solution to the
transport issue could be found.
The Oppidan bus will be running for the
rest of the year unless the University finds other
reasons for it to stop, but we [the SRC] will not
take that decision sitting down if it so happens,
Tyobashe stated.

The current vehicles used for the transport

system also face issues from their users. Pamela
Rheleni and Phumelela Mantwana complained
that due to the size of the two 16-seater vans,
there are squabbles over seating. Sometimes we
leave almost 10 people behind, then they will
have to wait for another hour [to get home],
Mantwana explained.

Rhodes venues awash

with public bookings
Leila Stein

Despite the good-natured aim of Give5, some question the sincerity of the campaign. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

Tensions over Give5 fundraising methods

Phelokazi Mbude
Although the money raised in this
years Give5 campaign (R72 145) is
less than that raised last year, Alumni
Relations and Annual Fund Officer,
Terryl McCarthy deemed 2015 the
most successful effort in terms of
student involvement. However, what
she regards as creative participation
was seen by some as problematic.
One such person is Miriam Makeba
Hall warden Michael Naidoo, who
feels the campaign, which raises funds
for students with no pocket money, is
over-commercialised. While walking
around campus almost on every turn I
was asked by people to buy something
for Give5. But some of the people were
taking it too far. Charity is not about
song and dance; charity is not about
impressing people and outdoing each
other. In fact it shouldnt be a competition at all, he said.
McCarthy, however, applauded
the different methods of fundraising

Rheleni, meanwhile, aired her grievances

on the Rhodes SRC page earlier this month:
[I] had to walk home so late on Monday as I
really didnt wanna fight to get in the bus But
big up to Hitec for giving me a lift home halfway,
she wrote.
Oppidan sub-warden Sisesakhe Ntlabenzo
responded to Rhelenis post, explaining that any
upgrades on the current vans need money. The
running of the Oppi Bus occurs at relatively high
expense, and that expense is comprised of fuel,
driver salaries and maintenance costs, he said.
Ntlabenzo further explained that upgrading
to larger vehicles would mean increasing these
costs. In an attempt to improve the situation, the
Oppidan Committee has raised funds to replace
the older of the two buses and hopes that this
replacement will likely occur at the beginning of
the second term.
A suggestion was put forward by the 2014 SRC
that transportation be outsourced from a company such as Blunden Tours as a solution to most
issues currently of concern. The current SRC was,
however, unable to implement this plan, citing
costs and disagreements with the University.
Currently, the situation regarding the bus is at
a standstill with the SRC and University disagreeing about possible solution and location of funds.
Students will continue to be at a loss for transport
until such time as an agreement and sufficient
plan can be put in place.

saying, This year was amazing. I

mean, there were students everywhere.
With all the students participating I
think everybody should just be proud
of Rhodes students.
Were dealing with intelligent Rhodes students; why wouldnt they go out
[and] commercialise their products to
fundraise. I dont see it as a problem at
all, she added.
While Naidoo acknowledges that
Give5 is a great initiative, he added
that the campaign seems like people
throwing money at the poor to make
themselves feel better. What is sad is
that we are making it part of our institutional culture. For me thats wrong,
he explained.
People who are poor are embarrassed about being poor so it is
undignified jumping around shouting
give five, give five, give five! Because
imagine how the poor guy getting five
feels like? Im opposed to the concept
of winning being associated with charity, he elaborated further.

SRC community engagement

councillor and Chairperson of Give5
2015, Gift Sandi, explained the essence
of Give5. He says the campaign is a
charity, not community engagement:
We are learning a culture of giving, so
students giving for other students.
We are raising money for the other
students so lets make it interesting.
Lets just go out, jump around, auction!
Whatever you want to do, do it because
we are trying to raise funds, he added.
Naidoo suggested that rather than
pursuing commercial ventures,
students could find other ways to
support Give5s fundraising. These
could include buying one less packet
of cigarettes or one less beer, or
unbooking a meal in the dining hall
once a month and donating that
money to fundraising initiatives.
Naidoos concerns stem from the
idea of rewarding people [for being
charitable]. If you think about charity
where does the reward come from? Its
a spiritual reward, he explained.

Recently, controversy was sparked on

the SRC page when Rhodes student
Julia Fish posted about baptisms
being performed in the Rhodes
swimming pool. The issue of whether
or not this is sanctioned by the
university on its private property was
raised and dealt with.
Fishs post raised questions around
religious practices and the use of
Rhodes private property for events
unrelated to the university. Personal
booking of facilities and venues at
Rhodes is allowed, as long as the
proper procedures are followed.
Any person can book a venue
at Rhodes, explained the Facilities
Assistant at the Rhodes Facilities office,
Juanita Fourie.
However there are clear stipulations
regarding who can book venues.
Rhodes students are allowed to book
venues for society events but are more
restricted when it comes to venues for
personal use.
If the event is in the students
private capacity (not society
linked) they have to book through
Conferencing Centre, said Fourie.
This ensures it can be paid for if
the need arises and that Rhodes has
control over the kinds of events and
who has priority for the use of venues.
Such private events would include
religious ceremonies and gatherings
not linked to a religious society at
Rhodes, but rather an outside church.
Although venues for private events
are usually booked through the
Conferencing Centre, this stipulation
does not apply to venues booked by

external religious organisations. If the

SRC approves such gatherings, I dont
have a problem to book accordingly,
explained Fourie.
This kind of negotiation makes
it possible for private property to
be used for a more public purpose.
For Teyla de Ricquebourg, a simple
understanding with her residence and
permission from her warden allowed
her to use the common room, a public
space within a private entity, for her
bible study group. It was a convenient
meeting place for people coming from
off-campus and those coming from
campus as it was pretty central, de
Ricquebourg explained.
While it is not usually the case, such
agreements can be beneficial as it saves
the effort of having to continuously
book areas for students to meet
up. We luckily never had an issue
booking this venue as we could have a
set time booked for the entire year, de
Ricquebourg said.
With regard to the baptisms, the
Sports Administration could not
confirm whether this had been
approved. It has been confirmed that
the church performing the baptisms
in the pool is linked to His People
campus society.
However, personal or societal use
of sporting facilities are allowed. Our
sporting facilities are mainly used for
sporting purposes, said Siyabulela
Magopeni, [However] there are cases
we can rent for non-sports, there is no
policy that prevents this.
The only stipulations given by
Magopeni were that the event does not
clash with sporting activities and no
damage is done to the venue.

25 March 2015 The Oppidan Press

News Features
Rhodes scrambling to fill
student funding gap
Aviva Lerer

The emergency Student Forum held last Thursday allowed students to voice their concerns and opinions about various
issues, including changing Rhodes name. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

Rhodes name to
remain the same
Despite continued student activism, Rhodes University is still unlikely to rebrand.
Leila Stein and Liam Stout

hodes Universitys name has

always been contentious.
Since the end of apartheid,
debates have sprung up every year
about the necessity of a name change
or lack thereof. This years discussion moved away from the forums of
student newspapers and took centre
stage in student discourse.
Rhodes University was named as
such because the capital for its development was provided by the Rhodes
Trust back in 1904. With the fall of
apartheid came the removal of honourifics to those who committed crimes
against people within South Africa.
Thus begun the debate of changing the
Universitys name.
In 1994 there was a motion put
before the University Senate to change
the name, Professor Emeritus Paul
Maylam explained in a recent interview with OppiTV. The motion was
referred to an ad hoc committee and
the committee recommended that the
name be retained.
The reasons behind this were not
that Rhodes was a great hero, but that
the name had brand value.
Since then many reasons for altering the name have come up and been

disputed, but no change has occurred.

As a result of protests on UCTs campus regarding the Cecil John Rhodes
statue, the name change discussion
took over social media and culminated
in the emergency Student Forum,
hosted by the SRC last week Thursday.
The meeting began with a call by
former SRC president Allan Magubane
for the proceeding to carry on in a
thoughtful and respectful manner.
While this was largely adhered to,
sections of the crowd were particularly
restless and responded to opposition
opinions by booing.
Current SRC President Siyanda
Makhubo agreed wholeheartedly that,
The statue of Cecil John Rhodes must
fall. He contextualised this with regard
to the matter being a national issue
to be addressed rather than solely a
Rhodes concern.
Rhodes Vice-Chancellor Dr Sizwe
Mabizela was in attendance and
applauded the efforts of students in
coming together. He insisted that we
must deal with uncomfortable issues.
A significant point raised by Mabizela was the concern for the lack of
diversity within the academic staff. He
stated that many black academics find
the institutional culture alienating.
Speakers from within the University

We must
deal with
uncomfortable
issues

Dr Sizwe Mabizela, Rhodes

University Vice-Chancellor

also voiced their opinion with one

speaker stating that the brand of Rhodes must come from its education, not
its name. Such comments were met by
wild applause from the crowd.
However, no mention was made by
anyone in the crowd or by Mabizela
about the financial cost that a name
change would incur for the University.
While it currently looks as though
there will be no action taken to change
the name, Mabizela acknowledged the
anger underpinning the recent debates
and suggested that similar discussion
be held every semester.
The SRC has drafted a mandate that
is set to be released today which aims
to encompass the varied viewpoints of
the student body on this issue.

Recent cutbacks on NSFAS loans

resulted in approximately 130
students being turned away from
Rhodes because they had not
received funding from the agency.
But as tertiary institutions seek
alternative funding solutions,
Rhodes already has some answers.
The loss of this funding did
not only affect students who were
turned away, but also those who
managed to register for this year
despite their lack of funds. Those
who found alternative funding
were forced into off-campus
accommodation as their inability
to pay their Minimum Initial
Payment at registration meant they
were barred from residences.
Students are the future of the
country. Its a pity that so many
faced disappointment because they
didnt get government funding.
NSFAS needs to realize the future
harm they are causing, commented
Rhodes student Tyler Naumann.
Several different funding avenues
exist within Rhodes University,
including a bursary fund. To date,
the bursary fund has paid over
R30 million in bursaries since 2007.
These are now being relied on more
than in previous years, placing a
significant strain on the fund.
In addition, Vice-Chancellor Dr
Sizwe Mabizelas has promised to
reallocate part of his salary towards
this fund. The announcement
formed part of Mabizelas promise
that no academically strong student
will be turned away by Rhodes
because of financial constraints.
New House Community
Engagement Representative,
Anelisiwe Zumana, said that
Mabizela had exhibited humility.
She also commented that another
initiative for funding, Give5, is a
truly remarkable campaign but it
does not serve the same purpose
as NSFAS.

Give5 isnt the same as NSFAS

because NSFAS covers fees and
books. Give5 raises funds for
students already enrolled at the
university and gives them pocket
money throughout the year,
she explained.
Zumana went on to add that the
power to make a difference lies with
the student body. Theres more
things we could do if we all had to
try. Anyone can sit down, come up
with an idea and just try it, she said.
SRC Academic Councillor
Tapuwa Majongwe stated that
Rhodes University is constantly
looking for additional funds. As
the SRC, we are also always looking
into what can be done in terms of
funding. There is something called
the Ubuntu Fund which is being
worked on at the moment,
he explained.
The Ubuntu Education Fund,
a PE-based organisation, entered
into an agreement with Rhodes
University in 2013. The partnership
involves the foundation identifying
underprivileged South African
youths with academic skill and
providing them with the finances to
study at Rhodes.
Majongwe also emphasised the
need for involvement by the student
body in projects such as Give5.
More can always be done, theres
always room for improvement. Its
all about participation if we all
could participate more, we could
definitely help more people, he said.
Initiatives like Rhodes bursary
fund and the Ubuntu Fund show
that there are alternatives to NSFAS
for students in need, and even
campaigns like Give5 play their role
in providing a financial support
system to Rhodes students. In
addition, the actions of the SRC and
Give5 participants show that the
student body does have a certain
amount of power when it comes to
providing economic assistance for
their peers.

The Oppidan Press 25 March 2015

Politics
Free education changes varsity standards
Kathryn Cleary

ith progressive countries

such as Germany and
Sweden taking a load
off students bank accounts with
the recent implementation of free
education, students around the
globe are wondering whether or not
it is possible for their own countries
to grant them the same fiscal break.
This question is particularly relevant
at Rhodes where students pay in
excess of R100 000 each year to continue with their studies, making it
one of the most expensive universities in South Africa.
In Germany, education fees were
completely eradicated in October
2014. This was not just for those
students who call Germany home
international students are also entitled
to this huge discount on their higher
education fees.
But before dropping all of your
courses and heading to the nearest
German 1 lecture, it is worth noting

Although university fees may be exorbitant, Germany and Sweden prove free
education does not equate to low-cost living. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
this comment from an article in
the Slate online journal: German
universities consist almost entirely of
classroom buildings and libraries no
palatial gyms with rock walls and water parks; no team sports facilities.
This shows that a German higher
education would be just that an education. Before ridding their country of
all fees in total, students in Germany
paid no more than R7 000 a year for

fees, an amount considerably lower

than what Rhodes students pay.
Similarly in Sweden, education
is also free. However, Sweden is a
country with incredibly high living
expenses. Paying R2 500 per month
for a flat is pocket change compared
to the R70 000 a month which a
student living in Stockholm would
typically pay.
Added to this is the fact that new

Swedish graduates have the highest

debt-to-income ratios of any group
of students in the developed world,
somewhere in the neighbourhood of
80% according to an online article for
The Atlantic.
Although Swedish students may
have a break from fees, there is no
break from living expenses. College
in Sweden is free, but rent and food
are not. Neither is the beer that fuels
the relatively infrequent, yet legendary, binges in which some Swedes
partake. Costs of living in Sweden are
high, especially in cities such as Stockholm, which regularly ranks among
the worlds most expensive places to
live, according to the The Atlantic
article. A Rhodes University education
may not be free, but Grahamstown is a
student-friendly town, with studentfriendly prices.
Looking at the quality of free education in both Germany and Sweden as
examples, it is clear that there is more
to an education than the education
itself. As a student, you must account

for living expenses, travel expenses,

and any incidentals you may incur.
Outside corporations and government organisations offer bursaries,
scholarships and grants to students
who want to continue their education.
Third-party payments can decrease
academic quality. Students, less sensitive to costs, are less likely to hold a
university accountable for an education that they arent paying for, wrote
Forbes magazine.
So instead of students becoming angry with the university for the quality
of education they are receiving, they
become angry with the organisation
that is funding their education for not
giving them more funds.
With the South African economy in
its current state, it does not seem likely
that students will be granted the free
education that other countries enjoy.
But if you take into account the higher
living costs of countries like Germany
and Sweden, it becomes clear that students in these countries face financial
burdens of their own.

Striking a balance: potential gender capping at Rhodes?

Kim Nyajeka
2015 marks the centenary of CourtenayLatimer Hall, the first all female dining hall to
be opened at Rhodes University. Since then,
the university has radically changed. However,
a steady increase in the number of female
students over the years, has led to speculation
on the likelihood of Rhodes implementing a
capping quota on female student admissions.
While Rhodes prides itself on having one of
the most diverse students nationwide, according
to Veronica Moodley, Hall Warden of Courtenay-Latimer and Student Services Manager in
the Division of Student Affairs, there is currently
a 3:1 ratio of women to men in the student
population. Although this has not been a cause
for immediate concern, it is interesting to note
the shift in gender dynamics that has affected the
levels of diversity in the institution since the end
of the apartheid era.
Professor Harry Dugmore, a lecturer in the
Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies,
explained the way in which the gender ratio
of the academic staff echoes the inequalities of
the past.
Most academics at Rhodes are white males,
he noted, this demographic had the advantage

in terms of access to better systems of education

in the country in the past. However, with the
shift in gender dynamics, Dugmore stated that
he would not be surprised if, in the next 20 years,
we would struggle to find a male chancellor at
any one of the 21 universities in South Africa.
Globally, there exists a social phenomenon
of female students performing better academically than males. A recent article in The Economist credits this to the fact that most teachers
worldwide are women who find it easier to
spot ability in their own likeness. This tendency
gives female students a slight advantage over
their male peers.
Moodley explained that, in her experience
in an all-female hall, female students are more
academically focused.
However, Rhodes does not accept students
based on academic merit alone. According to
Dugmore, the institution is conscious of the
inequalities and inequities of the past. As such,
Rhodes appreciates the fact that an 80% average
is considerably harder to achieve at a government school than it is at a private school. Of the
500000 students who write matric exams, 75.8%
pass and only half of this figure earn the Bachelors pass required for entrance into a university.
A significant proportion of those students who

obtain a Bachelors pass are female.

Although the current female majority is
not necessarily problematic, if the percentage
continues to increase it could compromise the
social aspect of the university experience, and
potentially result in the implementation of a cap
on the number of female students admitted.
Dugmore commented that, the benefits of
diversity are so strong and so powerful that a
university should always have the right to play
with their numbers and make sure things dont
go in one direction.
Moodley however added that instituting a
capping quota on the number of female students
being accepted into Rhodes will not come into
effect anytime soon. She argued that Rhodes
ultimately wants to strike a balance and get
transformation right.
Moodley went on to say that, to limit this
transformation to the number of students admitted to Rhodes would be inconclusive, because
the transformation process needs to include
more aspects in order to advance the universitys
transformation agenda.
Although opinions vary on the benefits of implementing a capping quota for female students
at Rhodes, it would seem that, for now at least,
no such move will take place.

With the increase in the number of females

being admitted to Rhodes over time, a capping
quota may eventually be implemented to
ensure balance is kept. Photo: KAYLIN VAN
ASWEGEN

25 March 2015

The Oppidan Press

Business

Airport deal not yet ready for take-off

Nathi Mzileni

he planes, pilots and cabin crew are

ready for the maiden flight of CemAir
to take off, but that could take up to a
year to happen, according to a CemAir official.
The privately owned local charter announced
in November last year that it was planning
to start flying between Grahamstown and
Johannesburgs OR Tambo International
Airport before the end of March.
However, delayed service level agreements
between the company and Makana municipality
have seen its plans slowed down. The plan was
to sign [the airport service] agreement with the
municipality during the course of December
which unfortunately didnt materialise, said
CemAirs Nicolene Myburgh.
The proposed agreement has already been
received by the municipality but has yet to be
approved by the Municipal Council. Myburgh
confirmed that the proposed agreement would
be discussed at the Councils next meeting, but a
date has not yet been set for the meeting, which

Between CemAir and Makana Municipality, flights from Grahamstown will not be happening any
time soon, despite previous agreements and plans. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
means it could occur any time between a month
or even a year from now.
CemAir will continue holding talks with the
municipality to speed up the airport deal but
even when the lease is signed it will be a while

before the first flights take off. CemAir has to

meet the countrys civil aviation laws, one of
which requires that Grahamstown airport be
up to standard. This process is also dependent
at the date at which both CemAir and Makana

Grahamstowns most wanted

Nathi Mzileni
Although Grahamstown is classified as a city, in terms of businesses it is
not very cosmopolitan. The Oppidan Press asked some Grahamstonians
what businesses they would like to see in Grahamstown. From cinemas to
department stores and McDonalds to Mugg & Bean, here is a list of some
of the most wanted business in our little city.
Hannah Munro
A cinema. We would be able to do something more
on weekends and it would be really would be fun to
go for movies on weekends.
Laven du Plessis
Mugg & Bean. I am coffee
lover and only a few places in
Grahamstown can serve good quality coffee. It
would be great to have Mugg & Bean coffee with a
light meal on the side.
Karlien van der Wielen
A cinema, Ster-kinekor maybe. It is a healthy form
of entertainment. Woolworths [Food] would also be
great business to have. It provides a variety in terms of
food options. That would be really wonderful.

Owner of Relish, Lauren Lawlor, is a businesswoman by heart and has ambitious future plans for her restaurant.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

The businesswoman on a mission

Nathi Mzileni

300 Wellness takes another three hours of her evening, and

Relishs bookkeeping takes the rest of the time before bed.
Sacrifice is not a new motto for Lawlor to follow,
however. During the time she was completing her honours,
Lawlor was simultaneously running her fitness and wellness
businesses. The method she used to get through this dual
responsibility is one enriched in age-old wisdom time
management and balancing. When I do something I focus
on it and try get as much in one go as possible. With my
honours research for example I finished really early on in
the year because I didnt linger it which made my schedule
better, Lawlor said.
Despite being just a stones throw away from fast-food
franchise giants Debonairs and KFC, Relish has secured
love from young students through its exceptional appeal.
Our product is quite unique, Lawlor said. She explained
that their products are inspired by art and only organic
vegetables and locally sourced cheeses are used in their
artisanal sandwiches.
At only 24 years old, Lawlor says she is proud of going
after her dreams and being able to use them to also provide
employment to the people working in her businesses.
Its quite nice when you can impact other peoples
life in a positive way, Lawlor said. She hopes that the
recommendation by a customer to expand Relish to other
cities will become a reality one day in the future.

Arlene Ramokolo
McDonalds. It is cheap, delicious
and I dont know of anyone who doesnt like it.
They always have free WiFi which is awesome.
Nosipho Dlamini
It would be really cool if
we had a local cinema so
that we can watch the latest
movies and maybe they can
have some kind of discount
for students.
Gift Mnukwa
Next should [come to
Grahamstown]. I think it should come
because What can I say? I need a store that
can improve my swagger. Im just joking!
It is a good store with great
quality brands.

ot
os:

Ph

Time magazine once ran a cover featuring tech executive

Sheryl Sandberg with the words, Dont Hate Her
Because Shes Successful. The same quote can be applied
to Rhodes alumna Lauren Lawlor. She plays hard but
works harder, has a honours degree in management, runs
several successful businesses and even though she has
only been in the game for a couple of years she is already
thriving as a businesswoman.
The beginning of Lawlors academic career saw her
wanting to choose the path of either doctor or lawyer
before a Rhodes aptitude test helped her discover where
her true passions lie. I had lots of different interests and
then, eventually, when I got to Rhodes I went to get an
aptitude test done and the lady said to me, You have to go
to business and I was like Alright.
Her first ambitions are not wholly abandoned, however,
as two of the businesses she runs, Fitcamp 300 and 300
Wellness, are centred on wellness and fitness, enabling her
to tap into the medicinal side of business.
Lawlor is also well-versed in how much business requires
sacrifice, as it is something running three businesses
simultaneously demands of her often. She spends a full
eight hours a day at her restaurant Relish, and after closing
up at 5pm spends an hour running Fitcamp 300. From there

Municipality put pen to paper.

Although the Grahamstown airport is and
will remain municipal property, CemAir will be
footing the bill, which could be as large as R1
million, to bring it to civil aviation standards.
Myburgh said discussions are still underway
around whether CemAir is going to refurbish
the existing airport building or put a temporary
structure in place.
We need to put up facilities, and build
facilities and buy certain things to bring it up
to speed and in line with [the civil aviation
regulations]. Theres a lot of regulations we need
to comply with in terms of the civil aviation. Its
all about safety, she explained.
The process of setting up a temporary structure
or revamping the existing building will on its own
take time, and the longer the agreement with the
municipality is in limbo, the longer it will take
to finally finish everything. Until that important
agreement between Makana and CemAir is
announced as official, the possibility of flying
direct to Johannesburg from Grahamstown is still
a distant realisation.

i
Nathi Mzilen

Moeketsi Lerotholi
McDonalds. I think everyone wants McDonalds
to come. They are good at what they do. Besides
I have eaten every meal on the KFC and Steers
menu: I could do with something new. Imagine
if it came here and it was 24 hours; bye bye Steers

and Debonairs.

The Oppidan Press 25 March 2015

Opinion

The Oppidan Press

With calls for the removal of the statue of colonial mastermind Cecil John
Rhodes from its central location on the Jammie Steps on UCTs campus
and demands that our own university change its name to distance itself
from his legacy, the past two weeks have been a tumultuous time for students in South Africa, particularly at Rhodes and UCT.
After 21 years of democracy, it appears that the South African youth are
finally fed up with the lack of effective transformation policies at institutions
of higher learning in this country. In our parents generation, university
campuses were hotbeds for political debate and action and it appears that we
may be beginning to reclaim that legacy.
The time has come for young people at institutions like Rhodes to take
politics into their own hands and this requires strong, nuanced and savvy
leadership. The first problem, of course, is finding those leaders.
When it comes to student leadership, normally the first port of call is our
elected SRC representatives. We voted them into office for the express purpose of representing our interests at an institutional level.
However, there is a difference between leading and representing. Representing requires consistently bowing to the most populist position on an
issue. Leading requires sometimes realising that you have to go against the
wishes of your electorate because they quite simply got it wrong.
SRCs are also intimately tied into institutional practices and culture. They
must liaise and engage with university management and must follow due
process. This can lead to them becoming bogged down in red tape and committee meetings.
While we still need SRCs to represent us to the institution, perhaps it is
now time to look elsewhere for a much more radical brand of leadership.
Organisations like UCT: Rhodes Must Fall and the Black Students Movement at Rhodes have sprung up organically from the turmoil surrounding
the statue and Rhodess name. They are horizontally led and free to take radical action beyond institutional practices.
While their demands and actions can potentially be dismissed by universities for this same reason, it is encouraging to see South African students
taking their leadership into their own hands.
If we invest our collective agency as student bodies into organic
movements like these, university management cannot dismiss them for they
will then be represent of the collective will of at least a portion of the student
population.
In the age of social media, where small-scale movements can do terrific
damage to institutional reputations in the public eye, this is doubly true.
Universities cannot afford to ignore them even if it is only out of self-interest.
For this reason, we hope to see more movements of their kind, grouped
around diverse interest groups, spring up from the student populace of this
country. It is good and fitting that we are finally living up to the proud legacy
of student protest in South Africa.

The Oppidan Press staff and contact details

Editor-in-Chief: Stuart Lewis. Executive Consultant: Amanda Xulu.
Financial Manager: Likho Sithole. Advertising Manager: Smangaliso
Simelane. Marketing Manager: Leila Kidson. Online Editor: Liam Stout.
News Features Editor: Leila Stein. Assistant News Features Editor:
Phelokazi Mbude. Politics Editor: Kim Nyajeka. Assistant Politics Editor:
Kathryn Cleary. Opinion Editor: Deane Lindhorst. Assistant Opinion
Editor: Jordan Stier. Arts & Entertainment Editor: Nkosazana Hlalethwa.
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor: Ellen Heydenrych. Scitech
Editor: Bracken Lee-Rudolph. Environment Editor: Lili Barras-Hargan.
Business Editor: Nathi Mzileni. Sports Editor: Gabriella Bellairs-Lombard.
Assistant Sports Editor: Armand Mukenge. Chief Photo Editor: Kellan
Botha. Assistant Chief Photo Editor: Bronwyn Pretorius. Chief Online
Photo Editor: Jamie Tucker. Chief Sub-Editor: Kate Jennings. Senior SubEditor: Danica Kreusch. Sub-Editors: Emily Stander, Lebogang Mashigo,
Wynona Latham, Nokwanda Dlamini. Chief Designer: Hannah McDonald.
Assistant Chief Designer: Amy-Jane Harkess. Junior Designers: Lauren
Dixon-Paver, Lara Unsworth, Matt Swaile, Bront Moeti, Tevin Tobias.
External Content Advisor: Sian Ferguson. OppiTV Chief Editor: Welcome
Lishivha. OppiTV Managing Editor: Sarah Middleton. OppiTV Content
Editor: Carey Moraladi. OppiTV Deputy Content Editor: Khanyi Mlaba.
Ombudsperson: Professor Anthea Garman.
Letters to the Editor: editor@oppidanpress.com
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www.oppidanpress.com
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The Oppidan Press publishes letters which are bona fide expressions of opinion provided that they are not clearly defamatory,
racist or sexist. We publish anonymous letters, but as an act of
good faith on your part, we require your full name. We reserve the
right to shorten letters due to space constraints and to edit them
for grammatical inaccuracies. Letters that do not make it into our
print edition will be published on our website.

From the horsess mouth

The segment where the Assistant Opinion Editor sits down with a horses mouth
and gets a few answers. This weeks horse: Females in male-dominated industries.
This weeks mouth: Gabi Bellairs-Lombard.
Jordan Stier

econd-year journalism student

Gabi Bellairs-Lombard is The
Oppidan Press Sports Editor.
She is also striker and vice captain
for the Rhodes soccer team.
Jordan: How did you get into sports?
Gabi: Ive been playing sport my
entire life. I was a big swimmer, but
soccer was and always will be my main
sport. My parents did the whole, sort
of, trying to get me to wear dresses,
and I did ballet for quite a long time
as well, but I was like, No, stuff this,
I want to play soccer. I want to do a
boys sport. They will still refuse to
watch a soccer match with me because
they find it so boring, but they are very
supportive of me playing, and theyll
come to watch my matches if they can.
When did you decide on sports
journalism as a career?
I always wanted to be a writer. Then,
two years ago, I did an internship at Al
Jazeera, at the sports desk, and the executive producer who I was shadowing
suggested that I start a blog. He suggested that I just write about anything
that comes to mind; anything thats
topical at the time, ongoing issues,
stuff like that.
So I sort of wrote about my experience as a female soccer player, and
then all of these other ideas came to
me while working in the news room,
like steroid use for example, because
they were covering the whole Lance
Armstrong thing at the time. And then
the more I wrote, the more I realised
that I could channel my love for sports
and my love for writing into one by
becoming a sports journalist.
Have you worked with any other

female sports writers that have inspired you at all?

Not necessarily writers, but there
are lots of other females that are passionate about sports like me. I worked
with one lady who runs this organisation called Girls and Football South
Africa. She is very passionate about
empowering women through sport,
not just so that they can have a place
to play, but also if they are victims of
rape or sexual abuse and stuff like that,
they can feel empowered and safe on a
soccer field.
Have you ever experienced any
prejudice as a female writer?
There is always an underlying
surprise when I say that I am a sports
writer and Im here to cover your
soccer match. At first they seem very
surprised, especially soccer players,
but then they soon become very eager
to engage with me because I have the
same interests as them.
Actually, today when I had a meeting with my sports writers, they told
me that there was a little rumour going
around about how the only reason why
I couldve gotten the position of sports
editor is because my boyfriend was the
last editor. I said to them, I applied
for it. I did the interview. I got the job.
Thats why I got it. There is always
going to be an underlying attitude
towards any female sports writer, and I
do feel that.
Despite the prejudice, would you like
to keep going on with it?
Definitely. I dont know if it comes
from me wanting to fight the stereotype and tear it apart and whatever,
but Im really passionate about sports
and I do want to continue working in
this field.

The Oppidan Press Sports Editor,

Gabi Bellairs-Lombard, is both
an enthusiastic sportsperson
and aspiring journalist at Rhodes
University, and speaks about her
experiences as a female in two maledominated environments.
Photo: JOE GAUCI

When two wrongs make a right

Rory Usher
What constitutes a human right? No, Im not talking
about ones perceived factual correctness. Im talking
about the category of moral rights that we all have by
virtue of our shared humanity. In order to determine
what constitutes a human right in modern times, one
would assume that the global populations first port of
call would be a philosophical bigwig or the charitable and
philanthropic the love child of John Locke and Oprah
Winfrey, if you will.
But no, we dismissed the people who provided the backbone of the first all-encompassing human rights and instead
turned to those who flaunt them knowingly and arrogantly
on a daily basis our politicians.
Recently, Tony Blair was awarded the Global Legacy
Award from the charity Save the Children and this one
glitzy ceremony single-handedly highlights the problem at
the core of modern human rights. We are simply unable to
separate the political rhetoric from that which would move
our species on as a whole. Through his merciless destruction
of societies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and subsequent reward
for it, Tony Blair has broken the quintessential ethical idiom:
now two wrongs DO make a right.
Consequently, if a human right is simply willed into existence from the mouth of some slack-jawed politician, why
do we afford them such ethical superiority? For 90% of a
politicians life, their political rhetoric differs little from the
forthcomings of any other of their orifices both are treated
with similar disdain and yet these are the people to whom

if a human
right is simply
willed into
existence from
the mouth of
some slack-jawed
politician, why
do we afford
them such ethical
superiority?

we defer to tell us how to treat one another. It is like forming

a framework for animal rights and asking Rainbow Chicken
to front the discussion.
And yet, if we must be discouraged from letting politicians use human rights as a thin veil for their manifesto
and human rights organisations themselves glorify those
who work against them who do we turn to? Surely a
discourse can exist outside of these subjective influences; a
space where the world can deliberate on what it means to be
human, and humane, especially in a world where technology has brought us close and cultural difference has been
used to push us apart.

25 March 2015

The Oppidan Press

Opinion
Thinking the impossible through stories
Deane Lindhorst

uch has already been written after the recent passing

of Sir Terry Pratchett.
His novels have been praised and
his genius inscribed in the lore of
fantasy writing. His wit has been
fondly remembered and some of his
most memorable characters have
been brought back to life. All of these
things have been done in the act of
remembering and celebrating the
life of an incredible storyteller and
human being.
Pratchett was perhaps not incredible in the sense of having changed the
world in a grand way, but incredible in
the way he was able to create remarkable imaginary settings while also making sense of and reinventing fragments
of our world in the written stories he
gave us. And he did not do this with
only the exciting and interesting, but
also reinvented the mundane and the
miserable. Pratchett, along with other
storytellers, continues to be influential
in helping us make sense of the world
we live in, often through well-crafted
and insightful metaphors.
Pratchetts characters encounter,
sometimes make sense of, and more
often than not learn to laugh in the
face of lifes absurdities. It is through
their fumblings and mishaps that
readers laugh, cry, develop empathy,
and possibly come to look at
themselves and the world differently.
Sometimes this means trying to
understand an imaginary world that
rests on four elephants who in turn
straddle a giant turtle. Other times
it means being unsettled by the
wretchedness of sexism and racism in
imagined characters.
While this attempt to write about,
and often parody, both real and
imagined histories was often riddled
with problematic depictions (*cough*

Fictional storytellers such as the late Terry Pratchett have a way of making readers view their world in a captivating and
original light. Illustration: AMY-JANE HARKESS
women) in his earlier writing, his later
work became complex, subtle, and
provocative, with its characteristic
humour intact, showing a continual
engagement with the world and the
self through writing stories. He not
only reflected on, but pushed the limits
of what is imaginable through continuously creating and recreating imaginary worlds and their inhabitants.
By playing around with ideas,

characters, and the limits of possibility in these worlds, storytellers like

Pratchett are able to push boundaries.
These fictional worlds become spaces
where contestation can happen in unusual ways. Reading about the racism of
trolls and dwarves, or despotic leaders
who are also benevolent, gives us new
ways of thinking through problems.
Those of us thinking seriously
about how to change the world we

live in need to be telling stories

narratives that are thought-provoking
and richly crafted.
When we read Pratchett and other
fantasy writers, we are forced to think
imaginatively or to think outside of
what we take to be normal. Fantasy
stories are often said to be irrelevant
and meaningless because they are
divorced from the context of the real
world. I disagree wholeheartedly. They

are completely relevant and meaningful because they are made up of their
own context.
In order for readers to fully
understand these stories and their
importance, they are involuntarily
thrown into understanding an intricate
imagined context. Readers encounter
new worlds with different cultures,
creatures, religions, myths, people and
politics. With all of this complexity,
stories often inspire a deep curiosity
that leads to readers becoming hooked
on this world and to fervently seek to
better understand it.
For some this becomes an obsession
that turns to dedication; a hunger that
is only sated by a deeper understanding. If this enthusiasm and curiosity
for diversity was kindled in more people, the world would be better off.
Out of this effort also comes novel
ways of thinking about and engaging
with the world, both real and imagined. These stories are not just made
up of meaningless words; they are
sometimes truths that hit home with
the reader, and at other times they
are uncomfortable reminders to not
see the world routinely. Gifted storytellers provide us with rich worlds
and subtly shaped details that leave us
profoundly changed.
It is precisely because stories are
able to do this that they are deeply
meaningful and necessary. Stories
have the ability to help us fully see and
understand the world we live in, even
if this is done by relating to characters
and situations in an imaginary world.
Stories have the ability to inspire and
spark the imagination.
It is through the characters and
worlds of storytellers like Sir Terry
Pratchett that many people have fallen
in love with a non-existent place that
has shaped them in a profound way.
For some this love is fleeting, for others it will last a lifetime.

My impressions of the Rhodes academic jungle

Catherine Roland
This is the second article in the Impressions Series which focuses
on keeping in touch with first year students, and understanding
how their perceptions of Rhodes might have changed as they
have settled in to Grahamstown and Rhodes living.
After watching Mean Girls for probably the 11th time, I thought
Id give my own wildlife description of the academic lifestyle at
Rhodes University.
Its been little over a month since I migrated to the Rhodes jungle, a place tiny in comparison to the land of the Cape I previously
thrived in. This jungle took me by surprise despite its regular
blackouts and shortage of water, it has proved to be filled with
unexpected escapades. My adaptation to the academic wilderness, a
prominent area of the jungle, has been one safari ride that only the
mountain goats who trek up the hill can fully understand.
The referencing sheepdogs seem to yelp at the first year lambs in
the jungle, guiding us to the Gates of DP, where we will eventually
be sheared by the jungles examinations. Until then, each animal
in the academic wilderness tries to face the kingdoms terrors and
survive academic exclusion.
Rhodes has a diverse atmosphere, catering for all kinds of vibrant
animals. Im one of the Journalism plovers. We are those birds who
try to pick up all the dirty bits between the other animals teeth. We
attempt to clean the meaty information from their mouths, picking
up on every word they say. However, its already becoming clear
that most of the animals like to lock their jaws so as not to let us in.
We keep picking determinedly.

In the mornings you get the rare opportunity to watch the

BPharm moles scurry out of their res holes to be at the dining hall
at 7am. Their tight digging schedule has them darting for their
daily dawnies. Other than spotting them at every mealtime, its
seldom that you will see them surfacing above ground. The law
owls, on the other hand, are everywhere, flapping their wings as
they choke on the pages of the reading material that has polluted
their desks. They hunt in the library at night time: others beware!
However, of all the animals in the academic wilderness, the Kaif
sloths are my favourites. Time seems to pass by too quickly during
Kaifenomics and the sloths dont seem able to keep up. With every
lecture that is missed they reassure themselves, We are close to the
library, ey, then they pause to eat some chips, and another hour
goes by so, like, in a way we are learning.
Once the weekday hustle of academics comes to an end, the
animals reward themselves in one of two ways. The first option is
for the animals to quench their thirst. You can spot these animals
in one of the jungles five watering holes: Prime, Champs, Olde 65,
Friars or the river of the Rat and Parrot. For others its hibernation
time. Youll often see them stocking up on Debonairs or Steers delivery packages on the days when their hunt in the dining hall only
catches Default tenderised steak.
Little over a month has gone by and I am already a proud
Rhodent, hitting the books because reading them takes too long.
Each day in the academic wilderness proves to be one of new
challenges; Im climbing up the tree of knowledge, circling the
lawns of dreams and running from the wrath of tutors. I hope that
I, along with my fellow G15s, will survive.

First-year student Catherine Roland writes about her experiences

in the Grahamstown jungle. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

8 The Oppidan Press 25 March 2015

Features

Eskom shedding more than lights

Richard Baker, Honours in Economics:

I dont think it is [fair] because currently,
South Africa is definitely in a place where we
need as many skilled people as we can. We
need to reward these guys, not fire them. So
by all means get the demographic right, by getting more people on board. Obviously its tricky
with the finances but, firing is not going to solve very much.

Chelsea Ogilvie, 2nd year BJourn:

I think its in place for a reason; it
wasnt put in power for nothing. Youre
trying to justify bullsh*t, by trying
to push up the one and push down
the other and call it equality, and it
doesnt make sense at all. Im scared
for my fellow white friends, because,
yes its trying to remove the damage from
apartheid era, but not like this.

Hariska Naidu, 3rd year Pharmacy; Shamikan Naidu,

1st year BSc:
I completely disagree with it. I dont
think its fair at all and I dont see
why they should implement
it. People are actually moving
overseas, because there are no
job opportunities for them here.
This is like apartheid but its just
not termed apartheid. Everyone
should be given the same
t
opportunities.
re
nP
Phot
y
w
os: Bron

or

skom recently released a statement forecasting the

reduction of the number of white engineers it employs
by 1 081 by the year 2020. This decision is in compliance with requirements outlined in the 1998 Employment
Equity Act (EEA) which was put into motion as part of the
governments affirmative action schemes. Eskoms drastic measures will not only result in a severe loss in jobs, but also calls for
a deeper look at South Africas post-apartheid legislation. When
The Oppidan Press asked Rhodes students what they think of
Eskoms actions, this is what they had to say.

Dumisani Mupfurutsa, 4th year LLB:

This is a step back; taking away peoples
jobs is not a solution. You are just
switching who is now being oppressed
and who is doing the oppressing. If
youre going to address issues [about]
inequity, you cant address them by creating new inequity; it defeats the purpose
when aiming to create a better South Africa.

ius

Tamara Mpati, Babalwa Manyati, 3rd

year(s) BSS:
I think its a good initiative. Because its
trying to redress the imbalances of the
past. Its not fair, if they knew they would
want to implement this policy, they
shouldnt have hired the white engineers
to begin with. But it is still relevant because South Africa has a long way to go, in
terms of redressing the imbalances of the past,
[and] of fairness and equality in the workplace.

Kathryn Cleary
Politics

Rhodes sports clubs

chase glory in 2015
Leonard Solms
Sports
Although the Rhodes rugby and
soccer teams remain well below
the hallowed Varsity Cup level,
other sports clubs on campus have
consistently competed at the top
levels of university sports. Included in the list of Rhodes sports
clubs performing successfully at
inter-varsity events are the archery,
rowing, and field and underwater
hockey teams. These clubs are
looking to carry last years success
into 2015.
Archery coach Lance Ho is hoping to build on last years momentum which saw Rhodes archers lead
the Eastern Cape to a bronze medal
at the mens National Championships. With the Archery Club at an
all-time peak in terms of the number of members, Ho is confident of
another impressive performance at
this years National Championships
in Johannesburg.
The top ten South African [archers] are amongst the 50 best archers
in the world, Ho stated. He added
that the Rhodes team has a good
chance of winning medals in the
mixed team events which involve a
single man and woman.
Rowing Coach Scott Walraven
is also optimistic about his clubs
chances of having another fruitful
year. Besides the Universities of
Pretoria and Cape Town, Rhodes
has the best rowing squad in the
country, he said. We have more
depth in the club than last year
when we finished 3rd in the 2014
Boat Race. This time, we are going
for silver!
One sports club that has enjoyed
recent Varsity Cup action is the
Hockey Club, with the Rhodes
mens first team placing 8th in last

Besides the
Universities
of Pretoria
and Cape
Town, Rhodes
has the best
rowing squad
in the country
Scott Walraven,
Rhodes Rowing coach

years tournament. At the end of

last year, the mens and womens
first hockey teams were placed 4th
and 6th respectively in the Eastern
Capes rankings. This year, however,
Hockey Chairperson Michelle du
Toit is aiming even higher.
Our goals for the season include
improvement in the leagues, a successful tri-varsity and continued
success in terms of community
engagement, said du Toit.
Another sport in which Rhodes
continues to excel is underwater hockey. We won silver at the
Inter-Club Championships in Stellenbosch last year, stated Terrence
Bellingan the longest-standing
member of the Rhodes team and
a member of the Calata House
inter-residence tournament winning
team. We also thrash Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University every
year, he added.
As these sporting codes show,
Rhodes University has an abundance of sports clubs finding success
at the highest levels of university
sport. In the archery, rowing and
field and underwater hockey camps,
confidence of repeating and improving on past achievements this year
is high.

Missing an important notice from a lecturer can be stressful enough, but struggling to link your Rhodes email to your
phone can be equally nerve-wracking. Photo: ROBYN BARNES

Getting your email on the go Android

Bracken Lee-Rudolph
Scitech
This article deals specifically with
Android phones sending and receiving
student account emails. Though most
details should also be applicable to other
smartphones, this universality will be
confirmed in our next edition.
Your email is an ever-updating,
vitally important communications
channel for you to keep track of at
Rhodes University. It is constantly
updated with any changes to assignments and lectures, informs you of
events happening for societies and
sports clubs and confirms your handins on TurnItIn and RUConnected.
Keeping yourself constantly near
your email, however, is sometimes difficult. It is not always possible to carry
a laptop around with you or visit one
of the computer labs. Luckily, there is a
way around it your Android phone.
While there is no app specifically
designed to cater for student emails
yet, most Android phones come with a
generic email application which can be

configured to receive student account

emails. The first thing most apps will
ask for is your login details. In this case
these are your student email address
(including the @campus.ru.ac.za suffix) and password.
Ideally, the app will auto-detect the
outgoing and incoming settings for
mail retrieval and sending, but certain
apps will not, meaning users will
need to manually input the settings.
For those details, check the sidebar.
Once this is done, your next options
should be those surrounding the
synchronisation settings, or how often
your mail is synchronised to your
phone. The more frequently emails
are downloaded to your Android, the
more data will be used in a given day.
Emails with larger attachments will
also increase data usage.
Your email is a valuable resource
to have at hand wherever possible.
Synchronising it to your smartphone,
and making sure it updates constantly
is a good way to keep on top of your
commitments, both in and outside of
the university.

Incoming settings:
Username: (student account)
Password: (student account
password)
Authentication: IMAP
IMAP server: imap.ru.ac.za
Port: 993
Security type: SSL/TTS
Outgoing settings:
SMTP Server: mail.ru.ac.za
Port: 465
Security type: SSL/TTS
Require sign-in: Yes (or checked
box)
Username: (student account)
Password: (student account
password)

25 March 2015 The Oppidan Press

Scitech

A quirky app-roach to your devices

Bradley Prior

he advances in the internet and social

media platforms in the past ten years
have deposited us, as mobile fanatics, in
the age of the mobile app, where mobile phones
have become a one-stop platform for almost
every service imaginable.
That said, having a collection of standard,
humourless apps can get incredibly boring. But
have no fear: there are fun, quirky alternatives to
almost any popular app that you can imagine.
Authentic Weather
Most devices come with built-in weather apps.
These are purely informative, and despite their
clear value, they become dull and unimpressive
quickly. Authentic Weather is an alternative
weather app that will never leave you in such a
situation. With more profanity than your average
South Park episode and the sarcasm of a cranky
Twitter user, checking the weather becomes
a whole new experience with the Authentic
Weather app.
While some might find the language
distasteful, over one hundred thousand people
clearly have no problem with the app spewing out
advice, such as Get your f*cking umbrella and
Its like a f*cking sweatbox.
Despite its comical nature, Authentic
Weather is an effective weather app, providing

the user with a three day forecast, the current

temperature, rain predictions, humidity levels
and an actual feel temperature.
Bristlr
As the latest Tinder craze has shown, online
matchmaking has finally been accepted into
the mainstream. This has led to the release of a
variety of quirky matchmaking apps. My personal
favourite is Bristlr.
Its slogan says it all: Connecting those with
beards to those who want to stroke beards.
Upon sign-up you either upload a picture of you
sporting your glorious facial hair and tick I have
a beard, or upload your beardless profile picture
and do not tick I have a beard. If you do not tick
I have a beard, the presumption is that you are
looking for a bearded partner.
Currently there are only ten thousand people
using Bristlr, but if you are a fan of beards, this
may just be the matchmaking site for you.
The Odd News App
Even before the internet was mainstream, people
would read the news. Now that the internet is a
crucial part of everyday life, however, we have
access to much more news than ever before.
While most people catch up on the news through
well-known news publications, there are other
ways for those who are interested in more
particular, offbeat news.
The Odd News App is an app that collates

wacky news from around the globe, giving users

access to hilarious, creepy and disturbing news
stories. At the time of writing this article, the app
hosted headlines such as Koalas get down and
dirty in wrestling matchup and Woman charged
with killing hunters falcon to save duck.
GymShamer
Many gym-goers and fitness fanatics use apps
to track their progress or to find effective
workout plans. GymShamer, however, goes
about this in different ways as it synchronises
with popular social media sites and Foursquare,
an app that allows you to check in to places. If
the user does not check into their gym when
they are meant to, GymShamer posts to their
social media accounts, shaming them publicly.
An example tweet by GymShamer reads I failed
at going to the gym 1 time this week. Ouch! /via
@GymShamer.
Founder Tal Flanchraych explains, The
problem with most fitness apps is that theyre
wholly reliant on your existing level of
motivation. This is what sets GymShamer apart
from other fitness apps, as it actually imposes
consequences for slacking off.
These are not the only weird apps around, of
course. For every novel idea, there is usually a
parody or humorous equivalent to it, and finding
them will make your mobile experience just a
little more enjoyable.

Various humorous mobile applications

exist that provide fun and unconventional
alternatives to traditional applications. Image:
SOURCED

Gaming conference creates opportunities for developers

Bracken Lee-Rudolph
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is
an annual event for budding developers in the
industry. As a conference, the GDC has grown
over the past 27 years from a small meeting of
developers to a full event with over 23 000 participants from the gaming industry presenting
their work and discussing game design in over
400 conference sessions.
These sessions are presented by industry
experts, from large companies to independent developers. This means that there is plenty to learn
from these talks, as GameSocs current Head of
Technology Gregory Linklater told us.
GDC and similar events that pool large
amounts of knowledge in game development are
often all someone needs in order to give them a
final push into making their own game, Linklater
said. He further explained that the passion of
these big developers can have an astounding

Have your say!

At this years Graduation Ceremony, Rhodes
University is giving Honorary Doctorates to
former Vice-Chancellor Dr Saleem Badat,
Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela
and musician Hugh Masekela.
Have a question youd like to ask them?
Rhodes students will have the opportunity
to ask recipients questions.
Submit your questions via Facebook,
Twitter or the link below.
If your question is chosen, you will be
given the opportunity to sit in a room with
the Honorary Doctorate recipient and ask
them your question on OppiTV.

Find out more here:

tinyurl.com/RUHonDocs

The 2015 Game Developers Conference announced that game-creation frameworks will be
available for free to developers, ensuring high-quality new games. Image: SOURCED
effect on aspiring game creators.
The point is not only to gain relevant and
useful knowledge on how to plan, build and
market games but also to provide an environment
full of people who are very passionate about
the subject which can push a self-doubting
prospective game developer into actually putting

their ideas to code, said Linklater.

One big announcement to come from GDC
2015 was that three of the big engines frameworks used by developers to create games
would be released for free to be used by developers in the creation of games or in the process of
learning how to do so. These engines namely

the Source 2, Unreal Engine 4 and Unity 5

engines are fully-featured game production
engines and will likely be used for some of this
generations best games.
Seeing these go free to all developers is highly
significant, said Linklater, saying that being able
to work on the same platform as large-scale developers would allow users (particularly students)
to learn a lot about the development choices
made in those studios. With the skill barrier for
game creation lowering every year, being able to
strive for a higher standard in development can
only be beneficial, both to prospective developers
making games and to the end user playing them.
In a world where solo development and
self-publication are active parts of the gaming
industry, learning to make high standard games is
essential. If you can take lessons from them as
GameSocs Technology division plans to then
you have, at the very least, a chance to succeed in
the corporate world.

10 The Oppidan Press 25 March 2015

Environment

Despite assurances by Boswell Circus that performing animals are treated fairly, animal lovers unsatisfied with the use of animals in any performance protested outside. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

Circus protests come full circle

Lauren Buckle and Demi Drew

he Brian Boswell Circus has been touring South Africa since it was established
in 1982. The circus visits between 90 and
100 venues a year, and has even ventured into
neighbouring countries. The performers like to
keep their audience entertained with local and
foreign acts, but the most notable acts are those
of the various animals that perform.
The fact that animals are used in Boswells
circus has been the subject of much debate
among animal rights activists in Grahamstown,
especially since the circus arrival. Protesters have
gathered outside of the circus gates to protest

against using animals for entertainment purposes, and there have been silent protests every day
since the circus arrived in town.
On the circus website, they state that these
animals are an integral part of the circus and that
their well-being is of the utmost importance.
While this may be true, it does not satisfy those
animal lovers and activists who still strongly
believe that animals should not be used as entertainment in any kind of performance.
The protesters have been taping their mouths
shut and handing out pamphlets to everyone who
enters the circus grounds. The primary aim of
our protest is to stand in silent solidarity with the
circus animals who have no voice, commented

Director of the Farm Animal Centre for Education (FACE) Jenny Copley-Forster.
The circus does not have any wild animals
such as lions, tigers, or elephants travelling or
performing with them, although they have done
in the past. Currently, however, the circus only
features horses and they are all in good condition.
In a statement on Facebook, the Grahamstown
SPCA said, We will be closely monitoring the
welfare of the animals while the circus is in our
town. Although we are opposed to ANY animal
in captivity or being used for entertainment purposes, the SPCA will not be part of the protest on
Tuesday. We will be inspecting the animals on the
day of their arrival and also during their stay and

ALL performances.
It is important to understand that circuses can
be successful without the use of animals, and that
some of the most famous circuses (such as Cirque
Du Soleil) focus on entertaining audiences with
human actors only. This proves that a circus does
not need animal performances in order to excel.
The Brian Boswell website says that they do not
condone the abuse or mistreatment of animals,
and the Grahamstown SPCA has taken precautions to ensure that this is the case.
While many audiences will still attend and support establishments like the circus, animal rights
activists will continue to ensure that the entertainers without a voice have the last say.

Think Twice: When to draw the line Scars beneath the fur
Nita Pallett
During the recent Rhodes Environmental Week, students
had the opportunity to attend talks and become more
educated about how to preserve their surroundings.
Encouraging sustainable fishing through awareness is just
one step that residents as well as business owners can take
towards a more healthy environment.
According to the Southern African Sustainable Seafood
Initiative (SASSI), the major problem in South Africa lies in
inshore resources. In an attempt to end the decline in numbers of targeted species, SASSI has compiled a list of most of
the fish consumed and fished in South Africa, and done this
according to a sustainability-status:
Best Choice
Think Twice
Dont Buy

We asked a few restaurants in Grahamstown what their

approach was to the fish they serve.
Haricots Deli and Bistro:
According to the manager Mongezi Plank, there is no
campaign that they support directly regarding sustainable
fishing, but they do purchase their fish from a reputable
company in East London we hope they do what they are
supposed to be doing. The fish they serve most often is line
fish either hake or carpenter. The manager was not aware
that both of these fish have an orange status, but did say
that if information regarding sustainable fishing was made
more available, they would change their menus accordingly
if and where possible.
Saints Bistro & Inn:
Fish is purchased from Fusion speciality food store, which
they believe guarantees sustainability. They are aware that
some species (carpenter for instance) are on the orange list.
Fusion:
Fusion claims to follow SASSIs guidelines as far as possible,
and only sells fish that falls under the green and orange
labels. Its up to the consumer to decide, not for us to
police.We draw the line at red [listed fish], commented

Lili Barras-Hargan and

Abongile Xhantini

With globally declining fish stocks, SASSI has compiled

an informative list of fish species for consumers. Photo:
THAPELO MOREKWENA
ichthyologist Clint Welgemoed from Fusion. He stressed
that the SASSI lists are no more than guidelines, and
although personally and ethically he follows them, Fusion
needs products to sell. He added that more government
support and a lot more research is needed in order to truly
combat the problem. Some of the fish statuses listed on
SASSI are based on educated guesses; Only with research
can they [SASSI and the Government] manage it properly.
The Fish and Chip Co:
According to manager and owner Dharmesh Dullabh,
because this is a franchised-based company they receive
all their stock from their head office, and so are limited in
terms of choosing resources. They also need to abide by
the franchises rules and regulations. However, they believe
the company makes informed decisions. We havent been
informed to date of any scarcity of hake or snoek [the fish
they sell].
Many of the very common fish such as tuna, hake and
carpenter are listed Orange Think Twice by SASSI.
That does not mean do not buy it only means think, and
make an informed decision before you buy them. For a
printable pocket guide to conscious seafood eating, visit the
SASSI website.

With animal welfare laws receiving

extensive media coverage in recent
years, the protection of animals
and their rights is becoming
increasingly important worldwide.
However, in many cases animals
exposed to cruelty go on to silently
suffer through persistent and undiagnosed psychological problems.
The Grahamstown Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA) is an animal rights and
protection organisation committed to the protection and welfare of
animals. At the SPCA, individuals
such as Animal Inspector Maloli
Dingana attempt to deal with the
array of psychological abuses many
animals face.
According to Canadians For Animal Welfare Reform, there are two
types of animal abuse: active cruelty
and passive cruelty. The former
involves an immediate and physical
abuse inflicted with the intent to
harm. Passive cruelty, on the other
hand, concerns the continuous
suffering induced through wilful
neglect. In both cases, prolonged
psychological abuse is a result and
it can only be remedied through
rehabilitation and vast amounts of
attention and care.
A recent report by the American
SPCA stated that some of the most

common symptoms of animal abuse

are aggression, limpness, lack of
grooming and a fear of people. This
is not normal behaviour for any
animal, and Dingana noted that a
lot of time and patience must be
invested to rehabilitate any animal
in this condition.
To ensure that animals fortunate
enough to be adopted through the
SPCA maintain their rehabilitation
progress, pre-home and post-home
visits are conducted. The animals
are not just animals, but pets family, Dingana explained. In the event
that the love and attention necessary for the animals rehabilitation
are not evident, the SPCA has the
jurisdiction to return the animal to
the shelter until a deserving family
can be found.
Dingana is also passionate about
breaking archaic beliefs where
animals are concerned. In order
to break these beliefs, Dingana
advocates the education of dedicated
animal carers and animal owners
more generally.
While it is difficult to break
the cycle of abuse experienced by
animals across the world, in a small
town like Grahamstown the chance
to prevent or eradicate animal abuse
is an achievable possibility. Widespread education and accessible
animal welfare centres could play an
important role in creating a nationwide intolerance to animal abuse.

25 March 2015 The Oppidan Press

11

Arts & Entertainment

OhFourSix: Making music for Grahamstown

Sam van Heerden

rom its underground origins, the Los Angeles music genre

Beat scene colloquially known as Electronic Dance
Musics little brother has found its way to Grahamstown
through the efforts of local Beat music producer collective,
OhFourSix. Named after Grahamstowns dialling code, OhFourSix aims to use this budding genre to invigorate and inspire the
production of local electronic music.
The Beat scene generates experimental soundscapes which
focus on a core of big bass beats as well as unusual sequences and
genres of sound samples often rooted in Hip Hop. OhFourSix uses
Hip Hop as a basis but it also infuses its music with genres such
as Drum n Bass and House. Ultimately, the collective aims for its
music to be experimental.
My only issue with the South African Beat scene is that it lacks
originality. Theres no unique South African sound, explained
OhFourSix member Caydon van Eck. Fellow member Keke Mokorosi believes that this lack of uniqueness is due, in part, to local
producers only creating commercially viable music, rather than
experimenting with local elements. Theyre trying to make music
which appeals to Western markets because youve got more chance
of making cash, said Mokorosi.
Despite OhFourSix gaining Daniel Nubian and Sean Devonport
as new members this month, they hope to expand further through

A new music genre, Beat scene, has come to Grahamstown and

is quickly gaining a following. Photo: SAM VAN HEERDEN
collaboration with other local artists who would bring an alternative style to the creation of different beats. Another idea in the
pipeline is to get producers from around the Eastern Cape involved
in the production process semi-annually.
What I hope to get out of this is basically producer feedback,

With many Grahamstown charities short on funding, Loose Change

Events have been working to raise money in unconventional ways.
Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

While issues of representation in mainstream media are a constant topic of debate, the global #BlackOutDay movement
has been celebrating diversity online. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

The use of art as protest: #BlackOutDay

Ayanda Gigaba and
Ellen Heydenrych
Bloggers of colour took to Tumblr
on 6 March to display the beauty of
differing complexions, sexualities,
genders and lifestyles in the celebration of #BlackOutDay. The 24-hour
online movement aimed to uplift
people who feel under-represented by
mainstream media. The movement
celebrated these bloggers diversity,
relevance and their continued efforts
to improve their representation in
the media by artistically representing
themselves on Tumblr.
Movements such as #BlackOutDay
celebrate the self by emphasising
how important it is for the media we
consume to reflect reality.
In conjunction with the movement,
the YouTube channel of London filmmaker and writer Cecile Emeke represents the importance of celebrating
the marginalised. Emeke has created a
series of short documentaries, entitled
Strolling. These documentaries
candidly present insightful opinions

explained Mokorosi. According to the collective, producer feedback

is an integral part of the learning process. I was terrible at producing for the first four years. But practice, reading up and speaking
with people yielded pretty desired results. Perseverance is key,
explained Ellery. Theres a lot of group knowledge. You learn a lot
quicker by watching other producers, he added.
Mokorosi also suggests aspiring producers improve themselves
by tapping into the vast knowledge of free production internet
programmes such as FL Studio or Ableton. My advice would be:
use YouTube, and dont do the whole expensive music college thing.
Your sound will just conform to an industry standard, added van
Eck. Rather develop your own unique technique.
Even in a town such as Grahamstown, which is known for its
involvement and support of new and often overlooked genres of art
and music, members Caydon van Eck, Miles Ellery, Keke Mokorosi,
Shalom Mushwana and Justin Share are finding current support
and interest in the Beat scene to be limited. There isnt much space
for scenes to grow here, said Mokorosi.
Van Eck agreed: I could see how our music could appeal to
crowds in bigger cities, but not in places like Friars. The five are
focussing a lot of their attention toward establishing the Beat scene
in Grahamstowns club culture.
OhFourSixs tunes can be heard at one of the monthly Newfolder events at Olde 65 but in the meantime they can be found on
SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/ohfoursix.

of black urban youths as they discuss

their identities and the social injustices
that affect them directly. Emekes artistic representation of her interviewees is
compelling and resonates with her 11
319 subscribers, who relate to the narratives she shares with them through
contemporary social media.
Similarly Rhodes University student
Lelo Machekes blog SuburbanZulu
tackles what he refers to as post-1994
truths about the youth of South Africa. He does so through the use of storytelling and photography. Machekes
perspective as a 21st century Zulu male
aids him in speaking for those who are
under-represented in South Africa. He
uses his blog to cover an array of issues
that range from race and ethnicity to
social class. The web space is such a
brilliant vessel through which we can
learn about the world and participate
in other peoples experiences, explains
Macheke, stressing the importance of
social media in self-formation.
The media, and specifically social
media, plays a large role in shaping
our identities. The late cultural theorist

Stuart Hall articulates in Negotiating

Caribbean Identity that external input
from the world around us is a core
source of values and information that
we use to form our identities. It is
thus important to be conscious and
critical of how representation in
the media is misconstrued when it
does not correlate with reality. Ciko
Sidzumo, an organiser of the Rhodes
Must Fall Solidarity Gathering, echoes
Halls notion: I think representation
in South Africa is highly distorted. We
dont celebrate things that make us
truly African.
While issues of representation in all
forms of mainstream media continue
to be debated, movements such as
#BlackOutDay orchestrated through
contemporary media can continue to
raise awareness about marginalisation. Such movements also serve to
educate and affirm society. By offering
alternative representation of identities
and by emphasising the importance
of doing so, we move toward seeing a
true reflection of the self in the media
we constantly consume.

Making an impact
with Loose Change
Demi Drew
Described as a company that creates parties for the people Loose
Change Events raises funds for
charities by arranging a variety of
parties for Grahamstown students.
Founded by Rhodes students Jarren Thomas and Andrew Lawrie,
the aim of the events company is to
give back to the community in the
most unconventional ways.
For their debut, Loose Change
Events organised the Kenton Beach
Party which took place in October
2014. While the price of tickets was
initially quite steep, students could
ensure discounts on their ticket
price if they donated clothes to the
organisation. The more clothes donated, the bigger the discount. The
Kenton beach party ensured that
Loose Change Events collected over
2 000 items of clothing, all of which
were donated to the St Marys Day
Care Centre.
Since there are a number of
charities in the Grahamstown area
alone that could benefit from the

companys proceeds, Thomas and

Lawrie focus on charities which
support the most prominent issues
in society. However, Loose Change
does not in any way undermine the
importance of other charitable organisations. There is a massive selection, said Thomas. Lawrie agreed
with this sentiment and acknowledged that there is always a cause
that needs charity. Loose Change
therefore makes sure that the need
addressed is the most pressing at the
time of the event.
Loose Change hosted a second
beach party on 21 March 2015,
which will give its proceeds to the
Grahamstown SPCA. This time
around, Loose Change has allowed
party-goers to donate cans of dog
and cat food in exchange for a ticket
at a cheaper price.
Donations are just a small part
of the ideology that we are trying
to put forward, explained Thomas,
who hopes that each person who
graduates from Rhodes University
will go out into society and make a
difference in any capacity they can.

Vox pops: Eskom

fires white engineers

Apps with
personality

Sports

Locals protest
Boswell Circus

10

The Rhodes Aquatic Team is unable to practise on campus like other sporting societies due to inadequate facilities.
Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

No pool for Rhodes Aquatics

Gemma Middleton

hodes Aquatics have faced unrelenting issues with

regards to facilities over the years. While other
clubs have ample access to the sporting facilities
they need, Aquatics is left without a useful swimming
pool on Rhodes campus.
Their water polo teams are forced to play and practice
at the Kingswood pool as the Rhodes pool is inadequate.
The Rhodes pool is too shallow, narrow and short for our
needs as a water polo team, said chairperson of the Rhodes
Aquatics club, Amy Barclay.
At the moment, the current water polo teams make use of
the Kingswood pool instead, as it is suitable for water polo
and can be used all year round. As far as I know they (the
Aquatics club) are not paying for the usage of the Kingswood pool, commented Rhodes Aquatics sports officer,
Xolisa Kula. If there were costs then the club would pay, as
we do have the facility here.
This issue has further affected the ability of the Aquatics
club to start up any swimming programs for students at the
university. While it would be okay for use during summer,
the colder winter months in Grahamstown make the campus swimming pool unusable.

Hopefully the swimming team can use the Rhodes pool,

comments Barclay. However during winter they will have
to pay about R1000 each per month to use the DSG pool
their only option as the Rhodes pool is simply too cold.
This poses a problem for the club, as the annual sign up
fee will increase substantially. This will further discourage students from signing up for the Aquatics club despite
swimming being a sporting code enjoyed by many.
As Rhodes struggles to provide adequate facilities, other
South African universities boast highly successful swimming teams. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, for
example, has mens and womens swimming teams, with the
latter being sponsored by Nedbank.
Besides issues with the pool, the Aquatics club faces the
problem of their clubhouse not being properly utilised as
such, but rather being used as a storage facility for other
sporting codes. This fact came to light during an annual
sport societies meeting last year.
Our own sports officer did not even know that it was our
clubhouse, stated Barclay.
This misuse of the clubhouse is due to Sports Admins
banning of fires (braais) and alcohol in the pool area. These
safety precautions prevent the club from holding their social
functions at the clubhouse.

Tennis at Rhodes desperate for competition

Armand Mukenge
The Rhodes University tennis team
were thoroughly defeated in the
recent Port Elizabeth league, raising
the concerns of coaches Neil Smuts
and Chris Loock. Both coaches stated
that the poor results were a reflection
of the teams lack of practice as
well as the absence of adequate
infrastructure for the sport.
Smuts, the womens team coach,
commented on the teams lack of
preparation. [T]here is no set team
of good players that are able to train
at separate times as the others. So the
problem is that there is not an official
team practice for the more competitive
players, he said.
Mens team coach Loock agreed
with his colleague, adding that a lack
of infrastructure and funding are just
two problems that the tennis teams
face. He further stated that the tennis
club currently only practices on three

courts because the other courts are

not equipped with lights. This means
that the teams are not able to practice
as much as they would like to, he
explained. Loock added that another
problem facing the tennis club was
a lack of access to competition. We
could be playing against the University
of Pretoria or the University of the
Free State, but we cannot because
there is no money to fund this,
he commented.
Smuts and Loock agree that in order
to take Rhodes tennis to a higher
level, issues of funding and increased
competition must be addressed. Loock,
who also coaches tennis at Kingswood
College, expanded on the problem of
lack of competition, saying: There is
not a lot for the student tennis player
to play for at the moment the sport
is social.
Loock explained that if the
competitive Rhodes teams were given
an additional practice day, things

might improve. Smuts added that

things worked well when the mens and
womens teams practised separately as
more focus was placed on preparing
the players for competitions.
The two coaches have struggled to
implement these changes as they work
under the tennis clubs committee
which is made up of students.
Although Smuts and Loock have
worked for the Universitys tennis club
for more than ten years, they are still
required to abide by the instructions
handed by the committee.
Despite the obstacles confronting
them, the tennis teams wish to build
on their competitiveness in the
coming months. Both the mens and
womens teams will be competing at
the University Sport South Africa
tournament in June this year as well as
the Intervarsity tournament in August,
and hope that these events will assist
them in putting together stronger and
more competitive teams.

The SA Underwater Hockey National tournament received strong support

at DSG this year. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

EP Underwater Hockey team

falls short of National success
Gabi Bellairs-Lombard
The Eastern Province mens and
womens underwater hockey
teams both qualified for the South
African Underwater Hockey Federation National tournament this
year. The tournament was hosted
at the aquatic center at Grahamstowns Diocesan School for Girls
on the weekend of 21 March.
The womens team came fifth out
of six teams and the mens sixth out
of seventh, falling short of their desired victory at the tournament. The
KwaZulu-Natal team won the ladies
league, whilst the Western Province
won the mens league in a tight contest against the Gauteng A team.
Mens team captain Jonathan
Bellingan said that his team was
well prepared. He did however add
that the tournament is very tough
and that the team will have to work
extremely hard in the pool.
Brett Mason, a second year student who joined the Rhodes team
last year, described the tournament as a great platform to launch
underwater hockey into the next
gear. He added that the diversity of
the competing teams would give the
Rhodes players a perfect opportunity to hone players skills.
Mason and Terence Bellingan
who is Jonathans brother and
has been part of the team since
2006 - both agreed that physical
fitness is the most important part of
preparing for tournaments like the
Underwater Hockey Federation
Nationals. If you are not fit, you

are not on the bottom of the pool,

and therefore not fully in the game,
said Terence.
Terence also added that Underwater Hockey in the Eastern Province
is becoming more organised, and
this should lead to big things.
Previously, teams were picked informally after team meetings without
having regular practices together.
Meanwhile womens team captain
Jess Joyner explained that they
had a training bootcamp with all
the [Eastern Province] teams
together in preparation for the tournament which has resulted in some
amazing cohesion.
When discussing the preparedness of the womens team, Joyner
said, We are as ready as we can be
[for the tournament] and the teams
have shown some true commitment
to the sport. The womens teams
post-tournament plans are focused
on continuing to promote what
Joyner described as a very underappreciated sport. The womens
team is also desperately looking
for new members to join the teams
practice sessions.
The mens side now plan to develop its upcoming players and ensure
they are prepared for the end of year
Inter-Clubs tournament. Jonathan
acknowledged that recruiting players is difficult as people are largely
unaware of the sport, however both
the mens and womens sides are
determined to put Rhodes underwater hockey on the map by making
people aware of their successes, past
and present.