2

>> Meatless Mondays

ROAR challenges RU eating habits

10

>> YouTubes darkest hour:

Rebecca Black

12

>> Sterilisation or

New means of nursing a habit

long-term contraception?

Edition 5, 05 May 2011

Charlton Reimers Charlton Reimers

55% of 1 in 9 participants verbally abused

Survey highlights the verbal harassment experienced by the Sexual Violence = Silence protestors

Participants in the recent protest against sexual violence wore black tape over their mouths for the day in support of rape survivors. Many were subjected to various forms of verbal harassment

Did you experience verbal harassment during the protest?

Examples of the verbal abuse

Participants surveyed by The Oppidan Press identified the following phrases as examples of what they heard while their mouths were covered with tape: You girls are gonna go sleep with your boyfriends after this, so whats the point? Youd be easier to f*** with your mouth taped up. People shouldnt be airing their dirty laundry. Women like money but they call it rape when you want her to pay back. You should tape up your vagina instead of your mouth. If you dont want to be taken advantage of now, say something. I love this day, the feminists are quiet for once. This day is actually the perfect day to go raping, none of the girls can scream. Hi lady, how are you? Why arent you talking? Are you a mute? Do you know its not nice to be ignored when youre being spoken to? Rapists like girls who cant talk.

Benjamin Katz n investigation of a 100 participants involved in the 1 in 9 Sexual Violence = Silence protest, conducted by The Oppidan Press last week, showed that 55 of the protestors were subjected to various forms of verbal abuse during the protest. Students who participated in what has become the largest student, and anti-rape, protest in the country, were asked to complete an anonymous survey about harassment they had experienced while their mouths were covered with black tape. Of the 55 participants who said they had experienced verbal harassment: 26 participants said they experienced inoffensive, light-hearted comments; 30 experienced joking that was offensive; 26 experienced comments that were offensive; 1 person said she experienced verbal sexual assault; 1 person said she had experienced physical assault (the participants were allowed to circle more then one option). Those surveyed were also asked to give examples of the verbal harassment they had experienced, of which one re-

sponse read, This man in town, seeing me and my friend taped, asked us if we had also taped in-between our legs. One protestor said the comments had been emotionally exhausting. It feels as if the message and symbolism of the protest is wasted. The investigation found that the most commonly used slur were variations of, If I rape you now you couldnt scream, or Youd be easier to f*** with your mouth taped up. Larissa Klazinga, organiser of the 1 in 9 protest wasnt surprised when asked about the occurrences of verbal abuse. There are women who have perpetually experienced these comments since the protest started five years ago. She said hearing comments, such as those mentioned above and You were raped, how was it? were perennial features of the protest. Sarah Green, a councillor at the Rhodes Counselling Centre, said there were many potential causes for such responses: Prejudice, fear, own personal inadequacies; people could feel shocked and not understand [the issue] - but that doesnt excuse it. There is always spin-off from the protest; always people who come in feeling distress. The Counselling Centre was actually open later on Friday to deal with these problems, Green said.

When asked how the protest can prevent verbal abuse Klazinga said, Weve tried all types of things, people speaking in residences, lots of ongoing publicity on campus, but theres only so much prep that we can do, then we have to let the protest speak for itself. She said she felt the best way to combat the issue of verbal harassment was in the growth of the protest, which in its first year saw 80 participants, and this year had close to 1600. Were trying to surface these comments, those people who feel that way behave like that behind closed doors. The protest is there to bring those misogynists to the light, to expose them, Klazinga said. Despite these comments none of the 55 students who had experienced verbal abuse said they would not participate in the protest again because of it. [Im] appalled at the lack of support or respect, one student commented at the bottom of her survey page. Another said she was terrified to note that the same people we are pleading not to harm and hurt us are making a joke out of it and are not prepared to change. Commenting on the protests impact, Green said, I dont think anyone can pass a student with tape and not feel something. Being taped is a very powerful act.

No 45%

Yes 55%

What type of comments did you hear?

1% 1%

31%

31%

36%

Inoffensive, light-hearted comments Joking that offended you Comments that offended you Verbal sexual harassment Physical assault

Charity drive aims to make 1000 cranes for Japanese earthquake victims
Neko Anime Society and The Oppidan Press have joined forces in an attempt to fold a thousand sponsored cranes to help provide relief for victims of the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japans Northern Coast earlier this year. Folding a senbazuru (one thousand cranes) is, according to Japanese tradition, a gesture of well-wishing, Katherine Kirk, Online Editor of The Oppidan Press said. It was made famous by a little girl who was a victim at Hiroshima. She decided to fold 1000 cranes before she died, but she didnt manage to finish it. In the end, her friends and family finished it in her memory. Kirk noticed other universities around the world doing similar initiatives, and thought Rhodes students would be interested in the charity drive. She approached Joanne Kahn, head of Neko Anime, who had mentioned her societys interest in helping the earthquake survivors. So far weve folded over 500 cranes, Kirk said. After the first week of folding cranes every day, I got RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) in my thumb. We need all the help we can get! Interested students and staff are able to either sponsor a crane for a minimum donation of R10 or pay R5 to fold one themselves. A stall has been set up at the Kaif and operates from 10am to 2pm daily. All proceeds will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. Its a great chance to make a difference, says Kyle Langley, a member of Neko Anime Society.

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News

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Do you have something to add? Email news@theoppidanpress.com

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Fabio De Dominicis Charlton Reimers

News

SA Campus News Rhodes ANCYL hosts evening to mark end of National Freedom Week
Compiled by Senior Reporter Khangelani Dziba

ANC MP, Lulu Johnson: Develop a system that does not exclude white South Africans
Lebogang Tlou embers of the ANC and the ANC Youth League gathered on Rhodes campus on Thursday 28 April to mark the end of National Freedom Week in the country. Vuyo Gwayi, Branch Chairperson for the ANCYL in ward 12, outlined the key discussion on the evenings agenda: Striving for and attaining economic freedom and the relevance of Black Economic Empowerment in society. The event kicked off with a 15-minute video that highlighted the impoverishment of some members of the Afrikaner community since 1994. The clip showed a number of Afrikaans people who had lost their jobs, and subsequently their homes, to social reforms in the countrys system.

Cream of the crop awarded at WITS

Seven out of the 6500 First Year students at WITS were recently awarded the Vice Chancellors award after having performed exceptionally well in their matric year. The award amounts to R30 000 each that goes toward paying for the first year of their undergraduate degree. At the awards event VC Prof Loyiso Nongxa said, Of all the functions that we attend during the course of the year, this is one of the most special events. Its a day of recognising the achievements of young outstanding students who have performed above expectation[s] in their final matric examinations, said Nongxa. He further expressed the universitys expectations of itself and the community; We have big dreams that the students who have been recognised as the recipients of the VCs Scholarship Award, will in the years to come make a contribution on how we rise to the challenges we face.

The ANC should be striving for a programme that includes the white members of society in [the mainframes] of the ANC Youth League, said Mr Lulu Johnson, the keynote speaker for the evening. Johnson, a former ANC Youth League president and now a member of parliament, said that by developing a system that does not exclude white South Africans, the government could establish a more non-racial society. The idea of this is so that the ANC [can] strive to unite the people in order to bring about a successful South Africa. According to Gwayi, although black South Africans have attained political freedom through their struggles over the years, economic freedom has yet to be accomplished for the majority of people in South Africa. The outcome that the discussion

Lebogang Tlou

MP Lulu Johnson, ANCYL ward 12 Councillor Vuyo Gwayi and Professor Jeff Peires attended the ANCYL event celebrating Freedom Week aimed to reach was to come up with possible solutions to the problem of economic transformation in South Africa so that we do not end up with a society in which the majority of the people own less than 3% of the countrys economy, Gwayi said.

Makana muni Budget Roadshow makes a stop at Rhodes

Relebone Myambo The Makana municipality budget is confusing, unreasonable, and flawed. This was the sentiment expressed by a few of the audience members gathered at the Makana municipalitys recent budget meeting - the earlier half of which Executive Mayor of Makana municipality was notably absent. The meeting was held at Rhodes Universitys Great Hall as part of Makana municipalitys IDP/Budget Roadshow. The municipality was forced to vacate the premises before the meeting could be concluded, so they could make way for students who were scheduled to write a test in the venue. Chairing the meeting was municipal manager Ntombi Baart. We express continued disappointment at the turnout, Baart said, in response to the small audience who were in attendance. Baart said this despite the fact that the Makana municipality advertised tariffs by more than double digits the meeting by distributing flyers on [though]. NERSA tariffs are escalating, campus only a few hours before the but the wind farm will help, Crouse meeting commenced. said, referring to the recent approval A draft budget was submitted for for the development of a number of approval after meetings were held with energy-producing wind turbines in the some community members to hear municipalitys district. what some of their needs were. A large portion of the budget, [Makana municipality] has been funds to the tune of R50 million, will intensive in taking their needs [into go towards repaying account], said a loan that Makana Baart. She A budget must be acknowledged, municipality took out reasonable, sound, during the previous however, that financial year. not all needs understandable and Once the could be manageable. This budget budget is approved, accommodated. adjustments are According to is flawed. the draft budget, allowed, except in the case of development electricity tariffs programs. Baart also stated that Ward will increase. One, which Rhodes falls under, is to be Marius Crouse, the Revenue changed to Ward 12. Expenditure manager, said that the increases were beyond their control as Some of the complaints from those the figures for the increased tariffs were in attendance included the pace of capital expenditure, to which Vumile set by the National Energy Regulator of Lwana replied that unspent money, such South Africa (NERSA). as unspent grants funding, is rolled over We have never increased our to the next financial year. Danny Wapener, a representative of the Grahamstown Farmers League, expressed his dissatisfaction with the draft budget: A budget must be reasonable, sound, understandable and manageable. This budget is flawed. The Farmers League then submitted a formal document detailing their concerns and solutions. Wapeners statement was echoed by Jock McConnachie, the interim chairperson for Makana Mind. McConnachie said, This is a highly unsatisfactory situation. We came prepared to ask questions. Mr Mayor, its as if this meeting never happened. Makana Mind stated that they collectively question the propriety of the entire budget process and the feasibility of it being done in time. The meeting however, was concluded before the Mayor could reply. The meeting lasted an hour and guests who had queries were encouraged to bring formal submissions to the Mayors office.

As part of the 1 in 9 protest, students took part in activities including a die-in and a slient march to the Cathedral

UCT opens new postgraduate labs

The UCT Humanities department recently unveiled a new postgraduate computer lab after a poll was taken among postgraduates to find out what their needs were. According to the universitys website, What emerged was a need for updated equipment, better connectivity (Wi-Fi) and a space that offered seminar rooms, an area for relaxation - and a tea room. Puleng Makhoalibe, the brains behind the project said, Our postgrad students were not making optimal use of the designated space. A promoted feature of the new postgraduate labs is a stop and go area for quick 15-minute access to Internet and email. The new computer lab also offers printing, photocopying, scanning, private lockers and break-away rooms that can be reserved online.

Black tape speaks volumes

Rhodes students stand against sexual violence
Kyla Hazell his years 1 in 9 Silent Protest saw Grahamstown turn purple once again. According to organizer Larissa Klazinga, the Sexual Violence protest has become the largest student protest in South Africa, with over 1500 Rhodes students participating. 1 in 9 is a very vocal, very adamant public protest that says This is not acceptable, said Lara van Lelyveld, assistant organiser of the event. Van Lelyveld believes that growing participation shows Charlton Reimers

that the message to Stop the war on womens bodies is being heard. To have so many people stand up and declare their support for victims of rape and sexual violence removes feelings of isolation and shame. It is an incredibly powerful thing, she said. The protest is named for the statistic that only one in nine cases of sexual assault are reported to the police. The protest features various campaigns throughout the day to vocalise the issue of sexual violence including the taping of participants mouths, a die-in, and lastly, the Take Back the Night march.

Watoto childrens choir brings hope to Grahamstown OutRhodes organises Born This Way
Enathi Mqokeli

flashmob for LGBTI pride week

Kyla Hazell

Go meatless on Mondays
Megan Burton The Rhodes Organisation for Animal Rights (ROAR) is campaigning for Meatless Mondays whereby students are encouraged to go without meat once a week. The Meatless Monday initiative at Rhodes was originally started by graduate Kathryn McConnachie to create awareness about animal rights and the environmental impact of meat consumption. Simone Marais, the chairperson of ROAR and an Honours student at Rhodes, explained that the aim of the initiative is to change the perceptions of students everyday life choices. She adds that by becoming active consumers, people place more pressure on industries to produce more environmentallyfriendly products. We do not seek to assert extremist views but rather to create awareness, making a broader impact, she said. By participating in Meatless Mondays, I felt like I was taking a stand in something important that I believe in, stated Georgia Humphrey, a First Year BA student. According to Marais, with enough support, the default meals in residence on Mondays could be changed to vegetarian. This could mean that students would then have to actively choose meaty meals. Marais stated that the success of such an event would also make Rhodes University only the second University in South Africa (after the University of Cape Town) to follow this trend. In addition, ROAR has created a questionnaire on RUconnected, asking students about their views regarding eating meat. The society has also recently visited different residences to speak about animal rights and to create awareness amongst students. Doing something small in our own capacity that is also fun, can make a difference, Marais said. ROAR believes that eating habits have an important role play in environmental impacts. Why Meatless Mondays? For the environment, for yourself, and for the animals, declared Marais.

Deuces opens its doors to Rhodents

Lebogang Tlou A new club in Grahamstown, Deuces, situated by the old KFC building, opened its doors to the public for the first time last Thursday evening, 28 April. The manager, Tonderai Motis Motsi said that entrance into the club, as well as to its bar, will be free of charge. When asked to explain his decision, Motsi replied, Why should people pay to drink? Motsi explained that access to the dance floor, however, will not be free. To ensure this, the dance floor has barriers separating it from the bar. According to Motsi, anyone is at liberty to have a drink at Deuces, but he maintains that dancing will be a privilege. Club goers will have to pay a cover charge before they are granted access to the dance floor. Despite the entrance to the club being promoted as being free, guests at the Grand Opening on Thursday were required to pay entrance. According to Motsi, it was only done for that specific event. I want to dispel the notion that this [Deuces] is a Coloured bar, Motsi said in response to rumours he had heard. It is for all [people], regardless of [their] race. Acknowledging the distance that students living on campus would have to travel to get to and from Deuces, Motsi mentioned that there was a plan for a shuttle service to ferry students from the Union to Deuces and back to the Union. Guests will not be allowed to enter with their own alcohol, though, Motsi added, stating that this was only permitted at the preview evening. Its so that we can give club goers the homely feeling that Deuces hopes to evoke. The Watoto Childrens Choir is part of a programme that supports vast numbers of orphans in Uganda. The twenty children who performed on 27 April in Grahamstown, used dance, song and acting to tell stories of hope. The choir performed twice then went on to perform in Cape Town, East London and Durban

Colloquium links morality to education at Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch University (SU) recently held a colloquium entitled, Service Learning: Innovations for the Next Decade, wherein guests were invited to speak about the progress of education in the country. Prof. Yusef Waghid, Dean of the Faculty of Education at SU, spoke of the importance of moral integrity amongst students. The learning process must focus on forgiveness, hospitality, risk-taking, non-violence and opportunities for engagement. We need a cosmopolitan learning that will make people feel welcome, he said. According to Waghid, universities need educated students to care for others and make them aware of what is happening to other people.

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Enthusiastic Rhodes flashmob participants are set to dance up a storm at the Kaif during lunch hour today (Thursday 5 May). The flashmob event is part of a bid to raise further awareness about the Lesbian, Gay. Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride week among students. We hope at this point just to amuse people, have fun and let everyone see past the controversies that surround LGBTI issues in conservative debates, said Grant Goodwin, the head of the OutRhodes society that represents LGBTI students. According to UrbanDictionary.com, a flashmob is: A group of people who appear from out of nowhere, to perform predetermined actions, designed to amuse and confuse surrounding people. The group performs these actions for a short amount of time before quickly dispersing. The flashmob is one of many events that have been organised by OutRhodes and other student groups over the past few days to highlight issues around sexuality on campus. Themed Born this Way, after the song by popular singer Lady Gaga, the event is a culmination of

many hours of hard work in the lead-up to Pride week. Lara van Lelyveld, the driving force behind the LGBTI flashmob said flashmobs were positive, fun outbursts that often involve song, dance and fancy costumes. Van Lelyveld was one of the first people to introduce the concept of flashmobs to Rhodes University last year. Life so often gets you down, is unfair, not fun and unavoidably difficult. But it is possible to inject some joy into it, van Lelyveld said. Flashmobs are all about having fun and feeling awesome. The participants of todays flashmob hope to illustrate, through their performance, that they hope sexuality will become a non-issue among Rhodents. Its impossible to worry about your English tut or very much else when someone is dancing in front of you in a Lady Gaga costume, said van Lelyveld. Most of the group feel that sexuality should never be an issue. Were born this way and have no problem with it, van Lelyveld said. She encouraged students to make their way to the Kaif to see for themselves what the flashmobs are all about. Though specific details were unavailable at the time of going to press, there have been reports that another flashmob, themed Rocky Horror, is in the pipeline.

Features
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Do you have something to add? Email features@theoppidanpress.com

Chelsea Nelson

Features

The Oppidan Press 05.05.11 5

THE DOPENESS
Binwe Adebayo

Sitting next to Superman

Bakhulule Maluleka Recently, I watched the movie Limitless, so you can thank it for this article. Limitless is about a struggling writer called Eddie (played by Bradley Cooper of The Hangover fame) and Eddie gets the opportunity of a lifetime. His ex-girlfriends brother introduces Eddie to the revolutionary drug NZT which incidentally is still in the early stages of testing. The drug allows anyone to use his brain to full capacity, as opposed to the measly 25 % of everyday life. Suffice to say, the use of NZT makes Eddie a god among men. He finishes his novel within four days. He learns a new language and is fluent in it, all in the space of an hour. He becomes the talk of the town and he even gets the girl. Not because of Limitless, but coincidentally, my friends and I also happened to be speaking about similar technologies that may allow people to be superhuman in the near future. The best bet, or rather the one we found most interesting was nano-respirocytes. A nano-respirocyte is a theoretical engineering design for an artificial blood cell about one micron in diameter. Unfortunately, it is a machine that cannot be constructed with current technology. The size of the respirocyte would cause it to have an internal pressure of 1000 atmospheres of compressed oxygen and carbon dioxide. This intense pressure could be safely contained in two separate high pressure vessels likely made of pure diamond. With the strides that quantum mechanics is making, it may be far easier to create the molecular structure of a diamond than we think. At this intense pressure, a respirocyte could hold 236 times more oxygen and carbon dioxide than our natural blood cells. Respirocytes are powered by glucose and three-dimensional nanoscale Pic sourced fabrication will allow them to be manufactured inexpensively en masse. Its hard to believe that Robert Freitas, the man who came up with the idea for respirocytes, did it all in 1996. This means the notion of respirocytes predates the notion of online social networks. This is quite surprising and visionary. An injection of such nanotechnological devices would enable a person to run at high speed for 15 minutes or remain underwater for four hours on a single breath. It sounds like pure science fiction but people working in the nanotechnology sphere of research and development believe that we could be seeing respirocytes manufactured properly by 2025. What would this mean for the average man? This means that in 2025, the average Joe will be Superman. Now, relative to other supermen the average Joe cannot be considered super but relative to us, right now, he is miles ahead. Such respirocytes would allow him to think faster, act faster and even live longer. If you read the predictive theories of Raymond Kurzweil, who believes we are experiencing an exponential curve on the exponential curve of technological growth (hence, double exponential growth), other things are in store. Kurzweil is one of the people who believe in The Singularity, the purported event where man and machine will become one. With the double exponential growth in technology, it may not be so far-fetched. A person in 1960 would have laughed at you if you said you could walk around with music in your ears but not carry anything larger than a coffee cup. And the fact that those musical tracks number in the thousands would have probably had you sent to an asylum. Yet the iPod does exist and it does exactly those things. Limitless may be fictional but the future it shows is right around the corner. In fact, you could be sitting next to a future superman right now.

Bio-plastic and Natto Resin - the future!

Athina Valene May The soy bean, notably known for its great taste in stir-fry dishes and as a high protein vegetarian food, has become the key ingredient in a new biodegradable material developed by Hara Toshio, agriculture professor of Kyushu University in Japan. Once fermented, the soybeans develop white, sticky threads which become a fibre as strong as glass once exposed to radiation. This fibre is know as Natto Resin and can be used to make fast food containers, cosmetic holders, and various commonly discarded materials which are currently causing irreversible damage to our environment, making it the dopest thing since sliced bread. Not too long ago, the worlds top leaders were worrying about global warming and reducing their countries high levels of carbon emissions. Countries agreeing to the Kyoto Protocol were entrusted to reduce their carbon output by at least 5%. Japan decided not just to reduce their carbon footprint but also to develop environmentally friendly technologies which would replace non-biodegradable products. These technologies could also be distributed worldwide and keep environmental activists at bay. Companies have begun producing and selling Natto Resin which is 100% natural in hope of replacing all environmentally damaging materials with the new super-material. The material can absorb five times its weight in water and once it exceeds that amount it turns into a jelly substance which breaks down naturally and protects the surrounding area from pollution. This is an awesome discovery seeing as South Africa releases 42 million cubic metres of non-biodegradable material annually. Another Japanese innovation is bio-plastic. This plastic is made up of edible material such as sweet potatoes and sugar cane. It sounds almost good enough to eat but its not recommended as a meal replacement (sadly, you could die). Ordinary plastics release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burned whereas bio-plastics are made from plants which absorb carbon dioxide therefore causing less harm to the atmosphere. Toyota Motor Corporation became the first company to make use of bio-plastic, many companies are following in its footsteps and incorporating bio-plastic into their products. Hopefully it wont be long before South Africa will also be able to share in the use of sweet potato bags and soya bean containers. To the people of Japan: we salute you for your efforts and hope that the earthquake doesnt slow down any of your good work. #Moredopeness In the run-up to winter, students like Abbey van Nierop do all they can to keep warm in digs

The mysteries of your dreams could potentially help you tap into and communicate with your subconscious mind

The reality of dreams: lucid dreaming and your imagination

Jessica Holdsworth

Combating Frosty the Snowman

Ashleigh Brown Brace yourself as winter is knocking on all the doors. Its time to take out those winter woollies and fill up the hot water bottles again. If you are worrying about what you could possibly do to combat those cold and dreary nights, this is a guide to having fun indoors. Why risk frost bite when there is a wealth of fun to be had while comfortably warm? Tip 1: Have a snugly, warm blanket close by, as this will be essential. Pick n Pay sells reasonably warm blankets at R39 each or four for R99 in an assortment of colours. Also be sure to stock up on some Milo and any other warm beverages, because what is better than a warm cuppa? Having furry boots or a pair of cosy slippers always helps matters when it comes to staying warm. Also, a thick jacket, for when you do dare to brave the cold, will prevent you losing any limbs to frostbite in Grahamstowns deep-freezer weather. Now that we have an idea of how to stay warm, the next hurdle will be how to stay sane and have fun while being locked indoors. Its not as bad as it sounds. Tip 2: Board games! And no, they are not called board games because they slowly lull you to sleep. Theyre there for your enjoyment. Be ready to break out the old Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno and anything else you can get your mitts on. If you live in res, there will always legally) download or hire some movies, both old and new; call a friend over, and relax for the evening. Nothing says cold winter nights like a heart warming movie. If you have a significant other, why not snuggle together while watching the movie? Sharing body heat is a good way to stay warm, among other things... Tip 4: Lastly, if you have a hobby you can always perfect it during those days in. Take some time, and go wild. Paint, write, fold origami birds, or whatever tickles your fancy. If that fails, then a good chat with another person, it has never hurt anybody. Sit down and catch up with an old friend, or get to know a new one. Tip 5 (The most important one): Study. Study. Study. Its not like you have a choice. Exams are looming. Dont let them sneak up on you. These cold days that are to come provide ways to grow. Not in the literal sense, as some seem to take it, but rather in the metaphorical one. Dont be afraid to try new things. Remember have fun, and always stay warm.

ow that the relatively short first term holiday is over, many of you have been propelled back into the never ending cycle of academic work. Usually, at the end of the day, there is barely enough time left to do the things you enjoy doing. And if by some rare chance you do have a couple of hours to spare, its often used to catch up on the sleep you have lost during the week. This is a cruel predicament whereby students constantly have to choose between sleep and enjoyment. It seems inevitable that this battle wont be won. If only it was possible to do all those enjoyable things while youre sleeping... This is where the phenomenon of lucid dreaming saves the day. Have you ever become conscious

that youre dreaming and that nothing Professor Stephen LaBerge, who has been successful in teaching subjects the around you is real? Lucid dreaming is this state of realisation. It may seem art of lucid dreaming. Those who are trivial and irrelevant but this experience able to dream lucidly on command have experienced interaction in the dream is the stepping stone towards controlling your own dreams. Dutch psychiarealm while being completely conscious. This often promotes the ability trist Frederik van Eeden was the first person to define this term in 1913. He to work through emotional issues in a creative environexplained that ment of which in this sort of The re-integration of the dream the you have compsychic functions is so plete control. The re-integration complete that the sleeper of the psychic pragmatic use of functions is so reaches a state of perfect lucid dreaming awareness. enables people complete that to freely express the sleeper themselves, as a therapeutic tool. reaches a state of perfect awareness and How do you begin learning how to is able to direct his attention, and to attempt different acts of free volition. dream lucidly? Simple enough, accordYet the sleep, as I am able confidently to ing to LaBerge, you have to focus on a stimulus you are exposed to constate, is undisturbed, deep, and refreshtinuously while youre awake and ask ing. Since then, the most predominant yourself whether you are dreaming or figure pertaining to lucid dreaming is

not. An example stimulus is looking at your hand, if you consider whether you might be dreaming every time you look at your hand then at some point in a dream you will do the same thing. Thus you will begin triggering lucid dreams. Once you have this down, you can begin to revel in the infinite possibilities of your imagination and experience a dream reality just as convincing as waking reality. The distinction between these two different realities sounds like something out of Inception, but the mysteries of the sleeping state have yet to be fully unravelled. We spend approximately one third of our lives sleeping, we might as well make the most of it. Reality may be better than fantasy, but the realism of lucid dreams opens up a new and exciting cosmos where you make the rules. Sleeping has never sounded better. Sweet dreams...

Be ready to break out the old Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno and anything else you can get your mitts on.
be someone to play with. Grab some friends, boil the kettle, wrap up warm and you will be amazed by how much fun you can have from playing an oldtime board game. Tip 3: If board games are not your style, then there are always movies. Go on the internet, legally (stress on

Sipping sizzurp and popping Panado: the dangers of going over the counter
Bakhulule Maluleka When I was in school I had a friend who used to drink cough syrup like it was water. Im sure he went through four bottles in the space of two days. Now, you may call it an addiction, for it manifests most of the symptoms of addiction but he actually stopped. And he did so voluntarily. By addiction, I understand an overwhelming impulse to do something, to such an extent that it interferes with other aspects of your life. I think thats the standard conception of addiction in most peoples minds. My friend wasnt finding his affair with cough syrup as a hindrance to everything else in his life. In fact, he said that it made things better. Last week, I found it strange when another of my friends, this time a female (lets call her Melissa) told me how she also enjoyed taking mild tranquilisers and painkillers. She even had a perfect mix: two mild tranquilisers, four painkillers and one pill of something else. Again: bells and whistles are probably flaring in your mind ringing with the word addiction. Yet, again, this person has stopped. So, being curious, I asked her to explain to me why she did it in the first place if she wasnt addicted? Her reasons were quite interesting... Firstly, she started taking the painkillers to prevent future pain. Melissa actually has a phobia of pain in all its forms. She doesnt like emotional pain, in the same way that she dislikes physical pain. Further, she doesnt want to have her own pain and her friends pain to deal with. There are those days when your friends are in so much pain you can see it on their faces. They dont want to be where they are or their situations are just messed up. The hell Im going to feel like that when I have painkillers, she says. Weirdly enough, before writing this article I thought that such thoughts would be rampant in a university. But when Ann van der Merwe from RET Butlers Pharmacy was questioned, she said its rare that they have a case of substance abuse in their pharmacy. Furthermore, the pharmacies in Grahamstown communicate with each other and anyone who looks to be taking suspiciously too much is flagged and not allowed to buy any more. I dont know what separates Melissa from Sizwe who goes to the Rat and Parrot and Pirates nearly every day; or Tony who actually takes illegal substances; or Ayanda who consoles herself with series and fast-food? All of them are looking for a source of numbing: There are those days you just want to feel out of it, says Melissa. And I guess its that much easier to feel out of it when the resources are right on the shelf at Pick n Pay, than being distributed illicitly by a man in a grey hoodie and busted jeans.

The true reflection of hair culture

Bronte Moeti It starts with this little tuft of hair when youre born And on your first day of school that same tuft, which has now become a mane, is lovingly slicked down by your parents. Then by the time youre nine your mom thinks its safe to let you start doing your own hair for school. After all, you mastered brushing your teeth ages ago (lets hope), how hard could brushing your hair be? Hair rules your world, so much so that its condition determines whether or not you go out; where you go (heaven knows that dirty, messy bun is only acceptable at the gym, and nowhere else); what outfit you wear; and in some extreme cases who you choose as a partner. Simply put: hair sometimes has more control over your life than religion or culture. In essence hair is a new culture, one we all follow whether we have naturally straight hair, curly hair, braids, a weave or no hair (yes, having no hair does not exempt you from the culture). Pic sourced are most important to you, unless the wind is blowing of course. Your hair can signify to others whether youre conservative in nature or not, in fact, it does so much more effectively than clothing can. Hair at times can speak volumes, without demanding much on the verbal front. Hair can evoke emotions that otherwise would not have been experienced if it had not been for the crown worn on that head. It can makes us laugh, smile, cry, cringe, fall in love and in the extreme cases, make us fall out of love. Hair can dictate the ratings of television shows too: in the mid-2000s, Kerri Russel, then acting as Felicity in a show of the same name, cut her hair and viewer ratings dropped. Apparently, most of the males watching the show found her unappealing with short hair. In our current society, hair can sway the masses to either love or revolt. Thats the power of the coif that you so casually brush from your face the very same coif that got your husband or boyfriend to stare at you, and the one that lost you that haute couture modelling contract. Love it. Take care of it. It rules your life.

As Rihannas music style changes, so does her hairstyle Most individuals have diverse cultures, yet the one observably uniting us all, is in fact hair culture. Most of us know, and this especially rings true for females, that new beginnings are often signified by a change of hair colour, length or in some cases a brand new coif balancing perfectly on the top of your head. Nowadays, hair isnt simply that string like thing jutting out from your scalp. Hair defines you. Messy hair as opposed to neat hair is an instant representation of the qualities that

Nono-respirocytes (injectable robotic blood cells) will be able to allow humans to do things that they would not normally be able to do, such as staying underwater for long periods of time

Politics

6 The Oppidan Press 05.05.11

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Malema: hate or great?

Catherine Baytopp s the 18 May local government elections draw ever closer, the hate speech trial against African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema heats up. In light of Freedom Day celebrations, are Malemas rights to freedom of speech being infringed upon? Last year Afriforum (a forum set up to voice concerns and protect minority groups in South Africa) and TAU-SA (Transvaal Agricultural Union) laid a case against Malema for the use of supposed hateful words by singing the shoot the boer struggle song. This battle over hate speech and the right to sing such anti-apartheid songs began in March last year. Afriforum believes the words awudubhule ibhunu meaning shoot the boer are disrespectful to farmers and the general Afrikaans community. As the first part of this trial ended on 21 April, in the Johannesburg Equality Court, Malema left by saying that if this song had led to the death of anyone, farmer or farmworker then he would agree to stop singing it, but as far as he knows no such incident has been reported. The question has to be asked: what

Politics Campus water leaks Free the Cape the Cape Party
Matthew Kynaston PVC have a lifespan of between 20 and 25 years. Hazell admits that copper piping could have been used instead, as it is more hard-wearing, but it is also more expensive. In the long run PVC works out cheaper, he said, adding that repairs have been planned and budgeted for. The reason why the pipes incur damage over time is due in part to the ground they are laid in. The pipes at Rhodes are built in clay, which means that they move ever so slightly in the ground as opposed to being set in concrete. This movement increases wear and tear. Hazell says that a new plan is in the pipeline for the newer parts of campus, such as the residences at Hilltop. This plan involves cutting down on irrigation of the sports fields on that part of campus, for two reasons: firstly, water is a scarce and expensive resource. Secondly, maintenance costs would increase. For example, the petrol needed for lawn mowers to maintain the grass all year round adds up to a hefty sum. So the plan is to maintain the lawns in the warmer parts of the year. If this sounds a bit neglectful, consider that new work has been done on the sports fields for the last 18 months and is continuing today. Hazell knows about the continuing problem of burst water pipes and can be contacted during office hours at the Rhodes Grounds & Gardens Centre. Matthew Kynaston First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. These are the words which greet you upon entering the website of the Cape Party (CAPE), whose goal is to declare the Cape independent. The party was founded in 2007 by Jack Miller. It grew out of a Facebook group and ran in the general election in 2009. It had a registered membership of approximately 1000 people and garnered 2552 votes, or 0.13%. They have no seats in parliament but will stand for the municipal elections on 18 May. Contrary to what you may be thinking, CAPE does not only want to make the Western Cape an independent country. They also want to unite the Western Cape, the Northern Cape (excluding two districts), six municipalities in the Eastern Cape and one municipality in the Free State. The area includes all municipalities in those provinces with an Afrikaans-speaking majority. CAPE has cited statistics in an attempt to illustrate how the Western Cape spends much of its money outside the province, because of the Division of Revenue Act. If they had their Pic sourced

The Oppidan Press 05.05.11 7

leg do either of these parties have to stand on? As all citizens of South Africa have the right to freedom of expression and to hold our own opinions. Struggle songs are an important part of the heritage of many South Africans who were part of the fight against apartheid. Yet, as the pain and suffering are remembered 17 years after the first democratic elections, should we not sing more positive anthems? Admiring how far South Africa has come in achieving freedom and equality for all, we should replace these angry words against the previous oppressor with words remembering those who gave their lives for the struggle. From the other point of view, the case against Malema seems petty and unnecessary in many respects. Words in most modern music today can be seen as offensive and provocative in some way. Take Rihannas I love the way it hurts; it could be seen as promoting abuse against women, or Eminems Im not Afraid: cause aint no way Im let you stop me from causing mayhem so f*** the world could promote violence and angry behavior towards others. Yet these artists have not been sued for expressing their emotions about

Is Afriforum hindering Malemas right to freedom of expression through the use of anti-aparteid song? whatever personal struggle they faced. As the trial continues all eyes will be on the court proceedings to see who shall walk away victorious from this battle of words. A better understanding is what Afriforums attorney Willie Spies wants to come out of the trial. Then with all aspects and points of view taken into consideration, it would only be fair to say that our granted right to freedom of expression be upheld.

here have been many burst water pipes in the lower part of campus since the beginning of March. With the Rhodes University campus in a water scarce province, can the University afford to waste such a valuable resource? The amount of water lost amounts to many thousands of litres, but the manager of Grounds & Gardens at Rhodes, Mark Hazell, says it's under control. He explains that there are two suppliers of water for the University: the municipality and Rhodes itself. There is a bore hole being used to provide water for campus and it is stored in tanks and pumped through underground pipes. The pipes on the lower end of campus (between the Drodsty lawns and the Student Union) are more than 20 years old. It is at this stage, according to Hazell, that they begin to show signs of wear and tear. He has known that the leakages could start to occur at this time, and has planned for it. You always hope things will last longer, Hazell said, referring to the pipes used around campus. The pipes used are made of a common industrial-strength plastic called Polyvinal Chloride, or PVC. PVC is the third-most common plastic in the world because it is cheap, durable and easy to assemble. Pipes made from

Could South Africa possibly have another neighbour if the Cape Party wins? way, CAPE believes its new country would be one of the top 10 wealthiest countries per capita in the world. It is worth pointing out that the Western Cape is doing well financially under the governance of the Democratic Alliance (DA), not CAPE. The DA is the party with control over the Western Cape at the moment, and all signs point towards them maintaining that control. The Cape Party has said it would like to build consensus with the DA, but DA spokesperson James Selfe has said the Cape Party Pic sourced

Dr Tariq Ali the man behind the brilliance

Lucy Holford-Walker As he stood before his audience, his spectators were held utterly mesmerised in his presence. His adept proficiency in addressing the room secured his capture of all eyes and ears. Dr Tariq Ali spoke to students and staff on 11 April, in which he gave a talk entitled The West, the Arab World and its Discontents. Whilst he is renowned for his work and his incredible knowledge, the man behind the acumen is what interests so many, especially the budding journalists at Rhodes. Born in 1943 in Lahore, the capital of Punjab - a city situated in the province of Pakistan - Ali was thrust into a political outlook from an early age. Ali was son of commended left-wing journalist Mazhar Ali Khan and his mother was an activist, Tahira Mazhar Ali Khan. Ali went on to study at Punjab University, where he is acclaimed for organising and coordinating demonstrations against Pakistan's military dictatorship. This is evidence that his upbringing instilled within him an obvious flair for politics and activism. After graduating at Punjab University, Ali went to England to study at Oxford University where he completed his Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) degree. Whilst Ali is clearly a highly applauded academic persona, having written over two dozen books and most recently having received an honorary doctorate from Rhodes University, he has had a unique impact upon those who are fortunate enough to know him personally. Professor Fred Hendricks is one of these privileged people, and shared his thoughts with The Oppidan Press. Rhodes Universitys Dean of Humanities Professor Hendricks introduced Ali on the evening of his presentation with a clear admiration and respect for Ali. When Professor Hendricks was asked what makes Dr Alis impact on the Rhodes community so great, Hendricks replied Dr Ali has managed to merge scholarly pursuits with political activism, which is never an easy task. The respect he receives was evident in the wide-ranging demographic of people who attended the presentation. There were young and elderly people in attendance, equally captured by his illustrious skills as an orator. Professor Hendricks continues that one of the aspects of Ali that makes his appeal so great and extensive is that he is not prone to rhetoric his political activism is grounded in solid academic analysis. Dr Ali was described by Professor Hendricks as quite simply, affable. Whilst he owns his space with great admiration, Ali is a down-to-earth man with great respect for others. Professor Hendricks recalled that Ali often speaks of his father with deep love and esteem. Alis father was a man who had great influence in his life, and it is because of him that Ali, as his father did before him, swims every day. Such discipline is surely one of the many reasons behind Alis success. Hendricks notes that Ali has the unique ability to write non-fiction and comment on it intelligently. Professor Hendricks all time favourite book written by Ali is An Indian Dynasty: The Story of the Nehru-Gandhi Family. Professor Hendricks recalls it to be a fascinating account of the Indian Dynasty. Another much-loved book of Alis enjoyed by Professor Hendricks is the Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad, in which Ali notes among other things, the importance of change in terms of a black president - but states that even more important are the policies and transformations the president applies, despite his race or background. Tariq Ali a man praised for his excellence by not only acclaimed academia, but also by the likes of singer and political activist John Lennon, has indeed privileged the Rhodes community. Ali is a man who has achieved so much and yet his humility and affability astounds those in his presence. There is no doubt that Tariq Ali is one-of-a-kind, and one can only imagine what a world we would live in of there were more men and women like him.

Fracking: cracking open the Karoo

Tarryn de Kock and Matthew Kynaston It is something that has never bothered South Africans before. Tales of land exploration for sought-after natural gas. However, the quest for a natural energy source could become a reality to those living in the Karoo. Recent reports have been awash with news of Shells bid to begin the process of fracking in the Karoo. Fracking is a term for hydraulic fracturing, a process of injecting a mixture of water and chemicals two and a half kilometres underground to extract natural gas to use for energy. When the process was discovered, energy companies heralded it as a brilliant and safe way to get their hands on this previously untapped resource. But how safe is this extraction process? Gasland, a movie about fracking in America was released last year by amateur film maker Josh Fox and has gained popularity in South Africa over recent months. The documentary highlights the dangers of fracking and its devastating effects on the environment. According to Fox, hydraulic fracturing poses a threat to water sources and ecosystems in general. Groundwater could become contaminated, so towns relying on boreholes could be placed in a serious predicament. Soil quality would decline, making farming impossible and fertilisers ineffective. Plants growing naturally would not be suitable for consumption and this in turn would disrupt the food chain among herbivorous animals and eventually omnivores like ourselves. What is worse is that shale gas is for the most part comprised of methane gas, which has been proven to have a larger carbon footprint than carbon monoxide. However, in order for all of these events to take place, there would be a need to make use of another natural resource: water. South Africa is a water-scarce country and more importantly, the Karoo already battles with water scarcity on a daily basis. Each time a well is drilled to extract the gas, a minimum of 3.8 million litres of water is used. This could rise to over 26 million litres, depending on circumstances. The same amount of water is needed for repeated fracking, and a well can be fracked up to 18 times. This means between 68 million and 476 million litres of water would be used for a single well, and there are many of them planned. Small wonder why Karoo residents are upset; the Karoo struggles to meet the water needs of its residents. The point is simple fracking is something the Karoo and South Africa cannot afford. It is important to ask whether natural gas is as desperately needed as is claimed by many developed countries, or if this is simply another neo-colonialist attempt at getting the most out of, at whatever cost. South Africa would not see much by way of economic viability if Shell were to succeed in getting the all-clear. The majority of the profit would be leaving the country in the pockets of a handful of shareholders in the company that started the process. There is also the question of accountability: would Shell be held accountable for any damage done to the environment as a result of fracking? One could easily claim that capitalism and greed is the driving force behind such intrusive behaviour, but if we choose to live in a globalised world this should be expected. However, having the world on our doorstep does not mean that we should allow it to leave us on our knees. As citizens, it becomes our duty to speak out against something that concerns the purity of our water sources and our land. Gasland paints a grim picture. The effects of such industrial activities will only be measured on the environment in years to come. We just need to be sure that its a result we can live with. Pic sourced Pic sourced

is not a party we take seriously. With 820 followers on their Facebook page and not many more registered members, it looks like the only Cape party will be in the headquarters of the DA.

Gasland has encouraged South Africans to wake up and get talking about the Karoo, now a potential fracking area

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Arts & Entertainment

Ed Lloyd David Williams

8 The Oppidan Press 05.05.11

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Arts & Entertainment

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Gtown band and students jam at Splashy Fen

Grahamstowns very own Life of Riley was one of 60 acts at the 22nd annual Splashy Fen outdoor music festival held over the Easter weekend. Dozens of Rhodes students joined hundreds of South Africans in attendance. This years festival featured acts such as City Bowl Mizers, The Rudimentals, Isochronous as well as a tribute to guitarist and festival veteran Syd Kitchen, who passed away from cancer earlier on this year. Its been quite surprising from playing in Grahamstown to Splashy Fen. Ive been watching bands on stage here since I was 15 and to be playing here now is great, said Life of Riley guitarist Nick Mulgrew. Mulgrew shared his feelings on the acoustic duos journey from playing in Grahamstown to being featured at Splashy Fen, saying, Mike, the manager of Slipstream, is a great guy, and even though our music is not his style he still supports us, which is great, and we thank him for that. Life of Riley had nervously applied for the music festival by submitting a demo CD. They were very excited to be accepted. We never thought we would get through, but after a few weeks we got a reply and we got it, which is overwhelming, said vocalist Terri-Lee Adendorff. Audience members cheered on the duos performance and particularly seemed to enjoy their cover of Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash. We experienced a few glitches but we did our best and we enjoyed it, said Adendorff after their performance. It was a great set and there was good sound, added Mulgrew. The band has released a CD titled The Golden Age of Us, a tour to Secunda as well as one in June. Amidst the mud puddles, gumboot sub culture, and colourful flags and tents, some of the Rhodes students seemed to fit right into the uproarious festival. Second Year BSc student, Emily Moxham experienced her fourth time at Splashy Fen, commenting, Everything is chilled and no one cares, so there are no bad sides. With such musical variety and the best of South African musicians, its no wonder that Splashy ranks so high on Rhodents to-do lists.

Maties advocate unapologetic theatre

R
tension, and prejudices toward sexual orientation were explored, along with how most of these issues are so ignorantly addressed. One defining technique had the actors climbing evolution and theatre are two words not regularly associated with each other, yet in and out of character all the time, addressing the audience directly while going almost completely a group of senior drama students at Stellenbosch have been making a name for themnaked for a large part of the production. Woza Andries? received much critical acclaim at the selves with a series of theatre productions that National Arts Festival in Grahamstown last year. have been described as Avant Garde, controversial, thought provoking, and, This has motivated them to go their experiat times, even shocking. There is a perception even further withnext project The intellectual father of mentation. Their the movement is Christiaan Nog n Hamlet (Another Hamlet) that Stellenbosch is experiment, Olwagen, who just completed a rather conservative is a post-moderncreators as a described by the his Masters Degree in directfour hour long historical-coming last year. He worked under Afrikaans University. ical-pastoral-musical-physicalthe mentorship of one South We decided to take Africas most established and speechprogram-childlike-farce! Olwagen has noted outrage respected theatre directors, some risks. among Shakespearian purMarthinus Basson. There is ists because of the manner in a perception that Stellenbosch which the original text has been ripped apart and is a rather conservative Afrikaans University, and converted into a modern day spectacle of male this then means that our art is conventional and safe. We decided to take some risks, and it paid prostitutes, excessive swearing, and existential dilemmas. off, said Olwagen. Olwagen said that he has major plans for the In 2010, Olwagen workshopped a new version future. We want to revive theatre in South Africa. of Woza Albert! (the acclaimed work of Percy Mechanical and shallow productions that a majorMtwa, Mbogeni Ngema and Barney Simon), called Woza Andries? In this production, unspoken ity of people prefer must become a thing of the taboos that often fail to breach the surface were past, he claimed. He is persistent that the new generation needs new theatre. I get so irritated by explicitly exploited. Issues such as political incomthe apologetic nature that has been drilled into us; petence, religious fanaticism, the denial of racial Marleen Bruwer

Terri-Lee Adendorff (vocals) and Nick Mulgrew (guitar) of Grahamstowns Life of Riley recently played at Splashy Fen

Diarise this!
Purple Thursdays Wear purple or your overalls to show Rhodent pride. Recurring weekly, campus-wide. Innovations A festival of student-directed performances around the theme Burlesque. 5 and 6 May at the Rhodes Theatre, R5 tickets (Limited). MyOwnMusic Rhodes students DJ a myriad of alternative music. 6 May at Slipstream Sportsbar, 9pm, R20 tickets. Broken Lizzard Tattoo Art Expo Tattoo and snake exhibition in conjunction with live music. 7 May at Alec Mullins Hall, all-day event, tickets R20. Monsters and Aliens African Drum Society presents trance, minimal, and dubstep DJs. 7 May at The Tunnels, 9pm, R20 tickets (max). SRC Celebrates 101 Years of Student Governance Commemorate our right to selfgovernance. 12 to 14 May, event list available at www.ru.ac.za/alumni/src101. Jiggered Online Content Release Local artists and writers push the boundaries of South African art. 16 May, content available at www. jiggered.co.za. IDaHo (International Day Against Homophobia) Raise LGBTI awareness and make a stand against the crime of homophobia. 17 May, campus-wide.

RU alumnus releases album Trend to try: shearling

Tarryn Gabi de Kock In recent years, the wealth of talent in the South African music industry has been showcased, especially in the realm of hip-hop and electro music. Artists such as Pro, Bakaman and Jack Parow have proven that SAs music scene is about more than kwaito and garage bands, and now a Rhodes graduate has become the new kid on the block. Rob Boffard, a 2006 BJourn graduate alias Rob One works as a music journalist and critic in the UK and released his debut album early in April. Entitled African, the album takes the listener through Johannesburg, encountering themes such as alien invasion, language barriers, the environment, political conspiracies, and Pic supplied government corruption among other things. Pulling in a range of producers, including Africas very own Nyambz, and featuring several guest artists, African serves as a storybook of urban legends and off-the-wall ideas. Flames is a tonguein-cheek account of his relationship with a woman and stands out as one of the really good tracks on the album. Pure Metal is futuristic, with Rob Ones debut album cover Shots Fired parts one and two lean towards more traditional The album can be streamed from rap beats. Another track worth a listen www.certifiedbanger.co.uk/2011/04/robis Morning After, which is brutally one-african.html or purchased online at honest and reveals Robs great passion www.robone.bandcamp.com for both Africa and his art. A song that stands out for the wrong reasons is the title track African, which comes off sounding slightly cheesy and worn; the concept is nothing new and its only salvation is the catchiness of the beat and Rob Ones slick lyrics. Listeners might also find his rapping in a British accent to be contradictory to all his patriotism. Some tracks seem empty, with little instrument variation, while others contain a brilliant mix of piano, strings, bongos and electronics, Evolution being a prime example. The album itself is a winner for anyone interested in a different brand of rap; there is nothing commercial about it. Rob Ones poetic capabilities are superb and are the main reason that one should give it a listen. Ananda Paver The days are getting shorter, colder and generally gloomier. Thats right - winter is fast approaching and with it the charming prospect of single digit temperatures. Despair not, fellow Rhodents, this is merely an opportunity to jump right into this seasons fantastic (and no doubt cosy) trends. This winter, its all about keeping warm in style; and what better way to do just that than making the most of the shearling movement. For those not quite up with the lingo, shearling is that fleecy, wool-like material traditionally used to line jackets. This season, find it in chunky lace up hiking boots and the timeless leather aviator jacket. Shearling is all about comfort, adventure and the great outdoors. Think haute couture mountaineering; as seen on the runways of Burberry, Adam and Dior. Pair shearling garments with ultra feminine chiffons, stiff pleats and aline skirts clinched at the waist to fully exploit the 50s frenzy brought on by the sassy stars of Mad Men. With so many amazing trends to try, not even the miserable weather could discourage anyone from showing them off.

Woza Andries directed by Christiaan Olwagen from left to right De Klerk Oelofse and Johan Botha all around we have to hear how sorry we should be, he added. Olwagen also spoke of how they regularly stumble upon some shaky ground, as they are walking on a artistic road that is still under construction. Stellies has not seen such a degree of theatrical innovation in a long time. But thats OK, Olwagen mused. Well create our own future.

Rhodes drama fights the tyranny of the text

Designer label Burberry included shearling in some of their recent designs, like their Prorsum shearling aviator jacket and Prorsum shearling cuff boot Professor Buckland and others feel that this idea ignores the investigative potential of the creation process. Practice as Research has been explored Are we making art or doing research?, asks for the last 10 years or so with exciting results, Professor Andrew Buckland, Head of Departhe claims. Is the play Ive made not a product of research? ment (HOD) of the Rhodes Drama Department, who is one of several academics in South Gavin Krastin and Jen Schneeberger, two conAfrica pushing to introduce innovative curtemporary theatre-makers working towards their ricula that expand the possibilities of academia. MAs, recently switched to the PAR programme One such initiative is the pilot project Practice to expand the possibilities of theatre research. Weve never created art for its prettiness, claims as Research (PAR), in which MA drama students combine rigorous theoretical preparation Krastin, who feels that PAR allows him to frame with the freedom to explore a variety of dramat- and articulate his choreography in a more theoic styles. The result is a theatrical performance retical context. Im excavating new possibilities for vocal expression, says Schneeberger. The that is at the same time theory, creative process, and product, challenging rehearsal process is a form of the notion that art cannot Weve never created collecting data and generating contribute to the creation of knowledge. I feel more like an knowledge. academic than I ever have. art for its prettiness Professor Buckland deRhodes University has been supportive of the PAR initiascribes the PAR programme as very dynamic yet undefined, a reference to its tive, though minor problems still exist. Its ironic that were still stuck with paper, remarked a non-traditional nature. In its current manifestation, PAR students dont create a performance and rueful Krastin, referring to the fact that students write a separate thesis but use the thesis-writing still have to complete a mini-thesis to fulfill the process to explore holes in dramatic theory and traditional notion that an MA should result in a then construct theatre that explores the dynamics text-based product. Prominent arts organisations such as the National Arts Council have also been of performance. Historically, theatrical studies evolved from reluctant to publicly back the initiative because literature departments, which created a strict of its internationally contested nature, threatendemarcation between dramatic theory and ing the future of the programme. Hopes remain high that PAR will crystallize as an accepted form creative practice. Theatre has often been seen as a manifestation of the script or text upon which of research. Were the guinea pigs, said Krastin, it is based and therefore a sub genre of literature. but thats alright. Ben Greaves

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...Picking up a copy of Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, in which the Beastie Boys (three MCs and one DJ!) have held back nothing in their quest to get down. This album contradicts the notion of white rappers losing their shine (and their rhyme) when they turn 40 and go vegan. Theyve lost the boom box and replaced it with the hip hop mixed with a street vibe. ...Listening to South Africas own Holiday Murray on their recently released self-titled album Nothing is more sacred, nothing more is true encapsulates this bands folk-rock sound from their song Stop Thief! This album is for bike riding down your favourite street with your iPod and loving every moment, the kind of sound that keeps you travelling. Catching a showing of Fast Five, the latest addition to the action-packed Fast and the Furious series. Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) pick up from the last installment by escaping from American authorities only to find themselves in Brazil, pulling off heists to gain their freedom.

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Putting away the ribs for a stab at Meatless Mondays. Organised by ROAR (Rhodes Organisation for Animal Rights), Meatless Mondays is a campus-wide initiative aimed at lowering our intake of meat. A diet high in meat has been linked by various studies to high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, and a host of other long-term health issues.

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Opinion
Pic sourced Amy Davidson little while back we all became accustomed to hearing the phrase shoot to kill said by a SAPS official in the news. It seems that this phrase is rearing its ugly head again, but now in a much more real sense. As a crowd of around 4000 disgruntled protestors marched to the Ficksburg municipality to complain about their poor standard of living, Andries Tatane was shot and killed by policemen. For a change, a protest-turned-ugly was not due to the rowdiness of the protestors; but rather due to the brutality of the police force. There are now several debates surrounding the issue of Tatanes death. Firstly, there is the question of the police. The people who have the huge responsibility of protecting the citizens of South Africa have time and again slipped upat the cost of others. Secondly is the debate as to whether or not the footage showing the death and beating of Tatane should have been aired. With regard to the police debate, I believe that if you cant trust the police, you cant trust anyone. Tatane did not

10 The Oppidan Press 05.05.11

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Opinion

The Oppidan Press 05.05.11 11

The Andries Tatane debate

A
threaten the police, nor did he become violent. It would appear that Tatane confronted the police, trying to get them to stop using bully tactics against the protestors. As he did this in a non-violent and diplomatic manner, it is unjust that Tatane ended up dying trying to air his views. We live in a country that allows us to express what we believe in. We have a right to protest if we dont believe the country is providing for us as it should. It seems that we are now being ruled by the police and shot down for standing up for what we believe in. Shot down in all senses of the word. SABC aired the footage of the moments of Tatanes death during prime time- an inappropriate time to air violent footage. This has caused quite a stir, raising the question of what news is correct news for people to see. However, the airing of footage such as this is non-debatable. Simply hearing a pretty lady in front of a camera announcing the death of one unknown person causes us to label the information as interesting but unimportant and ignore it. Seeing the footage brings the message home. If we are alerted that the following footage could be distressing, then it is of the upmost importance that we see exactly what is going on in our country.

The Rat Pack by Stephen Mina

Residents of Ficksburg protest outside the court against bail for the six police officers who killed Tatane during a service delivery protest over water in April

Private vs public knowledge

Thobile Dlamini People are so easily influenced into discussing global matters such as global warming and the increase of war and crime in the world. Yet, everyone cringes when it comes to discussing the reality that there seems to be a global obsession with the lives of celebrities and public figures. For some, if they do not have a daily dose of the most scandalous details of their favourite stars life, they feel incomplete and almost destitute. It seems like standard behaviour due to the colossal numbers of people who are addicted to probing their noses into others private lives. Personally, I wonder if these people can make a distinction between private information and public knowledge, for it is obvious the paparazzi cannot. On 29 April 2011 the world scrutinised a live viewing of Prince William and Kate Middleton walking down the aisle. I do not see how knowing the detail of the Royal wedding or their relationship is going to influence my life in any significant way. I surely cannot figure out what satisfaction others get from knowing whether Lindsay Lohan is going to get bail or not or if Khloe Kardashian merely gained more weight or is expecting a baby. Why is it getting harder for individuals to draw the line between invading someones private space and simply trying to learn more about the person they admire? It does not help our case that technological innovations are promoting the concept of having knowledge at your fingertips and being able to investigate any situation that raises your curiosity by simply typing in the right keywords on your keypad or following a #trend. Some of these celebrities are using this to their advantage and capitalising on technology. They use mediums like Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to engage with their fans and admirers. Yet I am confused by how those who are famous for being famous trying to get more attention through reality shows and then complaining about their privacy being invaded. I recently found that many do not agree with the idea of public figures exercising privacy. Some feel that accepting to be in the public eye means you accept the terms and conditions that come with the title; allowing people into your private sanctuary being one of the many conditions. They believe celebrities do not have the prerogative to complain about the attention they receive. Still, I argue that even the famous are still human and therefore deserve the right to privacy. We have to acknowledge we go too far at times. We have to think what contribution we are making to that individuals life by raiding their privacy. So the next time you are about to pick up a trivial magazine and read up about what goes on behind closed doors in others lives, think about whether you would appreciate it if others viewed your private life in that manner. Pic supplied

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Pic sourced Rebecca black is one of many example of the current Youtube sensations gracing our computer screens

YouTube and squeaky voices

Ananda Paver For years, humankind has struggled to answer lifes many questions: Why I am here? Is there a God? Which seat can I take? Wait, what? Rebecca Blacks Friday has gripped the masses going viral within hours. The video has accumulated over 123,550,026 views, outstripping the likes of YouTube favourites sneezing panda and dramatic look gopher. Friday currently has over 2.4 million dislikes, almost 90% of the total votes, making it the most disliked video on YouTube. The incredible interest generated by this video, a phenomenon that has become known as the Black Plague, leaves me wondering what it is about this thirteen year old sensation that has the world so up in arms. And up in arms they are, comments on the video itself include the statements: ohh... so this is why people commit suicide and warning: the sounds you are about to hear will permanently scare you listen at your own risk. In an interview with the press, Black, who has actually received death threats, admitted that the worst comment she had seen was I hope you cut yourself. The teenage singer now hopes to collaborate with Justin Bieber and my ears are bleeding at the very thought. The songs mind-numbing lyrics and auto-tuned voice make it hard to forget and Im fairly sure Im not the only victim to be sucked into a mind loop of Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun. However, while it can be said that Friday is easily the worst song ever written, I cant help but admire Blacks commitment to teaching those who are not yet aware of the order of the days of the week just how everything fits together: Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday/Today is Friday, Friday/Tomorrow is Saturday/And Sunday comes afterwards. Another young artist, twelve year old Jenna Rose, whose song My Jeans (uploaded in October last year) rivals Friday for most ridiculous lyrics, has viewers perplexed as she drives herself and her friends to the mall. Thats right folks, were now living in a world where primary school kids drive themselves to parties dressed like miniature Kim Kardashians. Is YouTube to blame for this influx of tacky tween pop? Have we created a medium and a market for this drivel? Since Justin Biebers discovery and success, it seems every aspiring pop star has tried to follow in his footsteps and YouTube has been inundated with squeaky voices. In the short years since its creation in 2005, YouTube has provided the world with a variety of inane spectacles creating a platform from which it is possible to watch a bootleg concert or to determine Chris Crockers feelings about Britney Spears. The worst of YouTubes qualities must be its lack of discretion with regards to taste in other words, you can put pretty much anything on YouTube. Rebecca Black is this months sensation. I wonder whos next?

Environment
Green Eggs and Ham
Binwe Adebayo

12 The Oppidan Press 05.05.11

Every drop on earth counts

Senior reporter Abigail McDougall ater is as mundane as air. Turn the tap and out it comes, wash your hands, do your laundry, drink it, shower. Its so commonplace that we dont think about it, until it isnt there. Water crises always seem to sneak up on us: weve had hundreds of years to plan for acid mine drainage and here we are, surprised and outraged, sitting on a toxic swamp. The same thing has happened in Grahamstown: were shocked and angry when nothing comes out of the tap, yet the problem has been accumulating for

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Business
paint a picture of inevitable doom and gloom but surprisingly, it doesnt. It would be rather far fetched to say that the global crisis was a blessing in disguise, but one can only see the halted demise of the gold industry as being a result of the uncertainty caused by currency fluctuations. A recent meeting of the World Gold Council concluded that the worlds central banks had now become net buyers of gold after being net sellers for 22 years. This movement to net seller is a clear indication of the new appeal of gold as a stable asset in a world of uncertainty and instability. The new move to holding gold has now seen a continuous rise in the price of gold, making gold the asset to have and South Africa safe for the meanwhile. We hope. Neo Khanyile The national treasury has a new director-general in Lungisa Fuzile. The 44 year old who hails from Port Elizabeth succeeds public service veteran Lesetja Kganyago on 16 May when Kganyago is to take up the position of deputy governer of the Reserve Bank. Fuzile, who has been with the treasury for 13 years, has been tipped by many to be a rising star. He is currently the manager of the treasurys liabilities Pic sourced and assets department and has been introduced to international investors and is well respected among his colleagues. Fuzile is an expert in capital markets and state debt. The internal appointment ensures continuity in the treasury. Fuzile himself believes that having traveled with Kganyago and being exposed to the position has gone a long way in preparing him for the job. Lungisa Fuzile has worked as a school teacher, a university lecturer as well as with StatsSA.

The Oppidan Press 05.05.11 13

Carina Truyts

HIV and crack

I have a friend who used to be seriously addicted to cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and various other drugs. She is a beautiful, loving person who has been through some harrowing experiences. She has done terrible things in order to get drugs. I immediately thought of her when I heard of Barbara Harris and her organization Project Prevention, formerly known as Children Requiring a Caring Kommunity (CRACK). The idea is that Project Prevention pays drug addicts $300 (approximately R 1971) to be sterilised, or R 1971 per year to stay on long- term contraception. The cause is promoted with slogans like: dont let pregnancy ruin your drug habit. Harris has been quoted as comparing drug addicts to dogs; we dont allow dogs to breed we spay them, she said, according to writer Brad Nehring. I thought of my friend the ex- addict. Shes grown up in so many ways. She laughs and says she cant wait to have babies. I shudder because I know she would have jumped at R 1971 for a quick sterilization back in her wilder days. The project was moved to the United Kingdom in 2010 amidst high controversy. This year, the project has changed its slant and stretched its tentacles to Africa. In Kenya, they now offer HIV positive women payment for long- term contraception. Earlier this month, Barbara made it clear that Project Prevention intends to come to South Africa. Concerned, I spoke with Willice Okoth, who runs Project Prevention in Kenya. Needless to say he spoke very highly of it, explaining that over 60 000 mother to child transmissions of the virus occur in Kenya yearly. He said that the women were educated about their choices, and that they were divided into groups of ten who shared $400 (R 2628) amongst them with the aim of helping them to start a business. He said the project targeted the poorest areas it could find according to government statistics. He didnt say mention that these highly impoverished women were unlikely to say no to a cash incentive. He didnt say the word: bribery, or mention the smudging of lines between coercion and choice. He didnt say that women might be socially excluded as a result of participation. Neither did he mention the various other possibilities in preventing mother to child transmissions. No he did not remember to say that long- term contraceptives are likely to discourage the use of condoms, thus spreading HIV at a potentially rapid rate. This is a question of dubious ethics, and misguided good intentions. It is an issue that all Africans need to dwell upon. I say: Simplistic solutions are dangerous, and likely to curb human and social development; thus aggravating our problems. Let them keep their crack.

years. Access to water is possibly the most basic human need: its something we cannot afford to leave to policy makers and those at the top. Water quality, where it comes from, the dynamics of access is something every person should know about and engage with, because its something no person can live without. World Water Day (WWD) takes place internationally every year on 22 March in an effort by UN Habitat to draw attention to the importance of conserving the planets freshwater resources. Conferences, events and celebrations are held all over the world. Each year has a different theme, and this year the focus was Water for Cities:

Responding to the Urban Challenge. The 2011 WWD Conference was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, during national Water Awareness Week. It was co-hosted by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), drawing the spotlight onto water in Africa and South Africa in particular. In Grahamstown, concerned students (including this author) from a variety of organizations held an awareness campaign in the library quad and a bring your own blue party on the evening of the 22nd. Galela Amanzi (the student water project), GRASS, the Catchment Research Group, and a number of Geography graduate stu-

dents organised the events. So why are people in Grahamstown, Cape Town, South Africa and all over the world up in arms about water? Isnt most of the world covered in it? And whats up with the urban focus, isnt it usually people in far-off, dusty nowheres who have no water? To grossly oversimplify: the urban population of the world is growing rapidly. The provision of clean, safe water and decent sanitation is growing not so rapidly. This equates to huge numbers of (usually very poor) people living in urban areas with no access to clean water or toilets. Read more at www.theoppidanpress.com

Sisa Matabiswana

All that glitters just might be golden National Treasury appoints new director-general
outh Africa has long been known for being one of the worlds great gold producers. A charmed country, one could call it. The mines of olden days managed to absorb the unskilled labour force as well as promoting an influx of migrant labourers from surrounding countries. As some would say, South Africas gold was golden and eGoli (Johannesburg) was the place to be. Fast forward to 2011 and the story has changed. One of the biggest problems the South African gold mining industry is facing right now is the fact that though there is a relatively large quantity of gold coming out of the ground, its not exactly the highest grade of ore

and even worse, its now even deeper in the ground making it harder to mine. A lack of infrastructure particularly regarding electricity has therefore meant that the mining industry is behind that of its global peers.

A lack of infrastructure has meant that the mining industry is behind its global peers
The importance of gold in the South African economy, apart from the number of jobs it provides in the mining sector, stems highly from the money it injects into an economy, something that Julius Malema could tell you a thing or two about. So all these problems should

Living history: Sir David Attenborough at NMMU

Carina Truyts Zoo Quest. Sounds inspiring doesnt it? It conjures up pictures of an obstacle course involving caged chimpanzees; a computer game, or maybe a very cool theme for a 21st birthday? Ironically, Zoo Quest was the name of Sir David Attenboroughs very first BBC series- one that would lead him on to adventures in some of the worlds most remote areas, as he furthered his career as a famous naturalist and broadcaster. In a public lecture held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on 14 April, Sir Attenborough said I wish the world was twice as big as it is, and half as explored. His lecture, titled Alfred Wallace and The Birds of Paradise had been preceded by a flurry of excitement and anticipation. Avid fans (among them, a significant proportion of young people) had been queued up at the doors for four hours prior to the event. Attenborough was at NMMU in order to accept an honourary doctorate degree at a ceremony on the following day. Proof of Attenboroughs popularity amongst South Africans was clear from the delighted, incessant applause as he first took the stage. The audience calmed down to an excited hush. Attenborough looked up, as if to engage every member in the packed auditorium; then proceeded to crack jokes about the malfunctioning microphone. It was a beautiful hour. I watched as people unknowingly crouched forward in their seats, scared to miss a syllable. I turned around to see faces wholly absorbed in the original footage being shared on the big screen. I glimpsed a tear forming in a grown womans eyes as she saw one her heroes in the flesh. Hero was the theme of the day: Attenborough had decided to speak about his fellow naturalist and ornithologist: Alfred Russell Wallace, whom he described as my boyhood hero. He discussed the theory of natural selection and origin of species, as having been discovered simultaneously by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. He drew a striking picture for the audience, contrasting the self- educated and poor Wallace with Darwin- the wealthy University graduate. Interestingly, he said, they were both fascinated by beatles- and puzzled by their vast number. He showed us footage of magnificent Birds of Paradise, explaining how Wallace had spent his time researching and collecting rare species Carina Truyts

Chinas fracking initiative

Neo Khanyile Hydraulic fracturing or fracking has been a hot topic here at home, as fracking in the Karoo has been proposed and is soon to begin. Fracking involves the injection of chemically treated water at high pressure through seams of rock, forcing the gas inside to seep out to where it can be captured. Environmentalists say it wastes and contaminates volumes of water. China has begun trials of the controversial drilling technique. China, the worlds second-largest economy, awakened to the drilling technique just over a year ago.

China holds 36.1 trillion cubic metres of technically recoverable shale gas reserves
The countrys shale gas reserves are said to be the largest in the world and the country is already fuel-hungry and relatively drought-plagued. It is

estimated that China holds 36.1 trillion cubic metres of technically recoverable shale gas reserves. China is soon to take over the United States of America as the worlds top energy user and is already the worlds biggest coal burner, pumping more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other country. The negative effects of fracking have become well known, such as the escaping of potent greenhouse gases during the process. Regardless of this, China is already pursuing the technology and infrastructure it will need to take on the unlocking of the massive reserves.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan (right) introduces the new Director General of the National Treasury Lungisa Fuzile in Pretoria recently

The beginners guide to: oil prices

Neo Khanyile Like anything else traded on the market, the price of oil hinges on the forces of supply and demand. When a commodity is in great demand, there tends to be less of it in supply, this causes the price to increase. Price increases generally occur when the world crude-oil market tightens and lowers inventories. The single largest entity impacting the worlds oil supplies is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a consortium of 13 oil-producing countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Together, these 13 nations are responsible for 40% of the worlds oil production and hold the majority of the worlds oil reserves, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). When OPEC wants to raise the price of crude oil, it simply reduces production. This causes gasoline prices to jump because of the short supply, but also because of the possibility of future reductions. When oil production dips, oil companies get nervous. The mere threat of oil reductions can raise petrol prices. OPEC, however, is not solely responsible for the setting of the international oil price. In todays complex global markets, the price of crude oil is set by movements on the three major international petroleum exchanges. They are the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the International Petroleum Exchange in London (IPE), and the Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX). Even though it is a sellers market, both sellers and users set the price and there is yet another demand factor that is part of the manipulation: speculation. Oil prices are more affected by the futures market than direct purchases by consumers based on current needs. Futures markets were developed a long time ago as a way to hedge against shortages and price volatility of commodities like oil. Users whose entire business model depends on a steady supply of oil such as refiners and manufacturers, who turn oil into by-products like plastics, tyres, and hundreds of other products, cannot afford to run short. They buy futures contracts to ensure that supply. In this way we can see that the key leveraging factor for driving up futures prices is market instability. Futures markets are based on uncertainty. When uncertainty goes up, so does the price one is willing to bid to ensure a supply of fuel in future contracts. Oil prices have an impact on other parts of the economy as well. Those of us with cars are already aware of the immediate effects of rising prices - that feeling of stunned disbelief as the numbers climb and climb while you fill your petrol tank. There are secondary effects as well. You might decide against a long road trip because the petrol would cost too much. When it comes time to buy a car, you might decide against a oil-guzzling monster, like a Hummer for example, and find something with better mileage instead. These are the many factors both on the supply and demand sides of the economy that determine the price we pay for oil. Other issues such as refinery capacity, strikes and tax changes, also have an impact on the oil price.

Proudly South African campaign gets a boost

Neo Khanyile South Africans must feel a bit embarrassed when theyre wearing something that is not made in this country; we want to see them hiding the label, said acting CEO of Proudly South Africa (PSA) campaign, Herbert Mkhize. The PSA, which was established in 2001 has been aimed at stimulating demand for South Africanmade products, boosting the local economy and creating conditions that increase employment. The campaign has been struggling to stay a float, however. The finalization of the long-awaited preferential procurement regulaSir David Attenborough captivated the audience which queued for four hours prior to the lecture at NMMU (below) when he fell into a malarial fever. Wallace had been mulling over the vast population and variation of birds, and was inspired to complete an essay on the natural selection of species while his fever raged. Meanwhile, back in England, Darwin had drawn remarkably similar conclusions. Attenborough explained that Darwin was a perfectionist, and had not published his work as yet, as he felt that it was still imperfect. Fortunately, he has discussed it with friends and thus he could never be accused of any sort of plagiarism, as he received Wallaces essay by post. Eventually it was decided that both mens essays were to be presented and read at the same time. Commenting on Darwins fame as opposed to the lack of attribution to Wallace, Attenborough said that both men acted in great generosity. Of course, he said, Darwin would get the fame he was in England, attending lectures and engaging with the public but Wallace, like any sensible chap, was sitting in Indonesia looking for Birds of Paradise. Wallace later said that he was thankful it was not left to me to give the theory to the world. Attenborough concluded by showing a beautiful video of Birds of Paradise mating. All exquisite things, he said, were surely not made for men; or by men. We left the venue feeling as if a slice Carina Truyts tions will be a massive boost for the campaign. The new regulations are expected to encourage local manufacturers when government tenders are awarded. We want people to do demonstrable things to confirm that they are indeed proudly South African. Mkhize has been quoted as saying. Civil servants in particular will be targeted to use their immense buying power to buy locally produced goods and services. Mkhize did recognize that it would be difficult to convince buyers to pay more for locally produced goods if cheaper imports are available. His idea is that companies must address their cost structures in order to remain internationally competitive.

Pic sourced

of precious history had been presented to us on a silver platter. Attenborough surely has millions of stories that he could have regaled to us, but he specifically chose to tell us about his

friend and fellow naturalist. It seemed as if he wanted to use his storytelling gift to clear the air to leave another legendary memory: in the story of Alfred Russel Wallace.

Sci-tech
Cindy Slater

14 The Oppidan Press 05.05.11

The Oppidan Press 05.05.11 15

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Jehan Khonat

Cancer stem cells: potentially revolutionary

R
Pic sourced esearch conducted for the advancement of medical treatment, such as cancers, has proven to be a long hard slog for what is, in most cases, a small reward. Different types of cancers will manifest either as a tumour, which is solid in nature, or as part of the blood, as in the case of leukaemia. Recent discoveries in the study of cancers have led to the identification of Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) which can be found within tumours. Stem cells form a small percentage of unspecialised or pluripotent stem cells that are found in different tissues of the human body, before and after birth, which divide to produce more specialised daughter cells. One of the daughter cells will form a more specialised cell (adult or somatic stem cell) which will differentiate into tion of CSC from selective tumours, has launched interest into and support of the CSC theory. The discovery and isolation of CSC provides a new explanation for both the initiation and proliferation of a tumour, the implications of which lie in the treatment of cancers. As CSC are responsible for dividing into the more mature cancer cells typically found in tumours, strategies that eliminates the CSC would lead to potentially novel treatments for preventing the development or relapse of the tumour. Most current cancer treatments of radiation and chemotherapy could be flawed as they were not designed to distinguish between the bulk tumour cells and cancer stem cells. In addition, the CSC are thought to be resistant to conventional cancer therapies. The common problem of relapse has been attributed to the entire population of CSC not being removed during surgery or treatment; leading researches to focus on discovering potential drug targets for CSC. Clinical trials suggest a positive outcome for targeting CSC using chaperone proteins as novel drug targets. Members of the Biomedical Biotechnology Research Unit (BioBRU) at Rhodes University are doing just this by undertaking CSC research specific to the function of the molecular chaperones in CSC biology. Therefore, the elimination of CSC has the potential to result in the subsequent suppression of certain cancers, and the prospect of being able to eradicate some cancers. This possibility of alternative cancer treatments has provided an optimistic outlook for cancer patients worldwide, potentially side-stepping the side effects of conventional treatments.

Sports

Extended hours for Rhodes Health Suite confirmed

Fiona Christensen Rhodes Health Suite, a place where you will find many students sweating it out and keeping fit, has confirmed the extended exercising hours rumour to be true. According to Felix Munyai, the Health Suite manager, the gym is indeed looking into extending operating hours, especially on weekends. This will be beneficial for many in helping them maintain their fitness without interrupting study and social time. Charlene Donald, a regular gym goer and Sports Representative of Ruth First Residence says; I definitely think it will be beneficial, however it all depends on when the hours are. I think there are only a handful of people who would wake up at 4:00 for the gym so I doubt that the peak hours will change much. Over the weekend however I think it will be super as the day doesnt really have a schedule so it would be ideal to be able to go to gym whenever. Although the new extended hours have not yet been confirmed, many people thought that the extended hours was a great idea and they were keen to start making use of them as soon as they are put into effect. Munyai states that although they are definitely considering it, it is still too early to say exactly when these hours will be implemented from and what they will be. Munyai promises to keep everyone up to date on the matter as soon as a decision is reached. The Rhodes Health Suite offers many forms of exercise and is great way for keeping in shape. As for the cold weather coming up, they have a few winter tips on exercising when youre sick. According to local Doctor Edward R. Laskowski, If you choose to exercise when youre sick, listen to your body. If your signs and symptoms get worse with physical activity, stop and rest. Resume your workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better. The Oppidan Press will be keeping a close eye on the extended exercising hours that hopefully will be on offer soon.

Cancer stem cell therapy points towards an effective cancer treatment the cells that represent those found in fully established tissues. The other daughter cell remains a stem cell, representing a small subset of the population; a phenomenon not only reported in normal cells but which can be extended to numerous cancers as well. This discovery, along with the isola-

Professor Whitfield on estuarine fish technology

Timothy Smith On 14 April 2010 a revered scientist in the field of Ichthyology, Professor Alan Whitfield delivered a presentation at Rhodes University highlighting the South African history of estuarine ichthyology and the way forward in the light of new technology. Whitfield is the leading scientist in South Africa with regard to the study of estuarine ichthyology, with several prestigious titles and awards being an A-level scientist and a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa are good examples, but being awarded a Doctor of Science is by far the most notable. Taking the story right from the beginning, Whitfield gave a tour of the history South African estuarine ichthyology, bringing up names such as John Dow Fisher Gilchrist, of whom Whitfield called the father of the marine field. From there Whitfield highlighted not only the efforts of past scientists and their work with estuaries, but also clearly showed the effects of mankind on estuaries over this time as well. Such an impact has not only affected the inhabitants of these environments but also the work of the scientists themselves. As Whitfield explained how ichthyologists have progressed through their work in recent years, he also noted the leaps in technological advances. As technology has grown at a rapid pace in recent history, Whitfield praised the benefits that this growth has brought SAIAB to his field. Most noted among the advances were developments in research in fish movement, fish health and identification. One of the most important aspects of these newer technologies is that they are less destructive to the environment than older techniques. Explaining that research should have as little impact on the environment as possible, Whitfield said: It is important that we use technology that will not kill the fish. Another new development is the use of genetics to identify fish essentially, a genetic barcode is used. This is of particular importance not only in general fish identification, but also for identifying endangered fish which may be being sold at seafood restaurants. Among the newer technological advances was a technique to observe the way in which pollution affected fish on a microscopic level. Whitfield gave an example in which an estuary was thought to be clean however, after using the aforementioned technique, it was found that the fish were being affected by chemicals in the water. Whitfield noted that fish can now be used as important biological indicators of the status of aquatic environments, saying Fish are the way to go. Over his many years of experience working in the scientific field, Whitfield had a message to send home with those who listen to his words: Questions are so important, he said. Over the years, technology and techniques may change, but its the people who ask questions which help us advance.

Crysis 2 Review
Jonathan Funcke Pics sourced Crysis 2 surprisingly contains jawdropping visuals despite it running on only DirectX 9. This sequel has been developed for consoles as well as the PC and there are certainly times where it does feel like a console game, yet it still made for a fantastic gaming experience. The plot is initially very confusing, even for someone who played the original, it takes a bit of digging to get into it. In 2020, an elite team of soldiers, wearing state-of-the-art performance enhancing nanosuits, discovered an alien ship buried beneath a mountain and failed to destroy it. Crysis 2 begins three years later with the aliens commencing their purification of the planet. The captain of the original nanosuit team is infected with a virus and in a final dying act gives you his second generation suit along with the only hope for humanity. The suit is the driving force for both the plot and game play. Using nanotechnology to alter itself to its users needs: Be it superhuman strength, speed, tank-like armour, heat-vision or even invisibility, the suit gives the players a great deal of freedom to approaching situations. Unlike the tropical landscapes of the original, Crysis 2 is set in the destroyed city of New York. The urban combat is tight and exhilarating while still being vast enough to cover the feeling of linear progression; each level consists of large areas with multiple routes to take toward your target, giving it great replay value, and impressively maintains great juxtaposition between intense combat and calm storytelling. In the multiplayer modes, the unique suit again takes centre stage. There is an evolutionary combat system, where your suit becomes more efficient the more a certain feature

The Oppidan Console

Sons of Pitches, the winning team, together with Flat One, the finalists in the recent competition held by the MSA.

by Rhodes University Game Soc

Its on for Rhodes ping pong MSA finds success in cricket tournament
Stefan Ploos van Amstel Zintle Ngubeni he Muslim Student Association (MSA) took full advantage of the recent cricket euphoria when they staged a seven-a-side tournament on the weekend of 22 and 23 April. The well-supported event took place mid-campus on the tennis courts and the playing surface prompted the organisers to opt for an action cricket ball for all games. The informal sporting spectacle attracted enthusiastic participants and yielded a total of six registered teams. The bulk of the teams comprised of five men and two ladies. Particularly striking for the participants of the two-day event was the atmosphere. It was really played in good spirits, noted Third Year BPharm student and MSA Vice-president Azeem Battey. The most memorable thing is that even though people might have had aches and pains, everyone had fun, he added. Many of the rules of normal cricket were abandoned to add spontaneity and encourage audacious play. Girls bowled to girls and guys to guys, said MSA Media and Communications Officer Jehan Khonat. The different set of rules added a different dimension to the manner in which teams approached their games. Many of the participants revelled in the environment which did not pile pressure on the players. Zaheera Mulla, a Second Year journalism student and team member of Flat One recalled how everyone cheered each other on during the tournament. Even if you played a stupid shot or got out, people were screaming for you, she added. MSA continues to encourage as much participation in its events. The winning team, Sons of Pitches, triumphed in an entertaining final against Flat One. The winning margin was 19 runs and Sons of Pitches walked away with this years bragging rights. There were also individual accolades given out for outstanding players. Sean Mcullock was named man of the match for the engaging final. Nabeela Sader was the woman of the match. Jason Aquadro was deemed the most fair player throughout the tournament. We hope to make it an annual thing from now because there was amazing attendance, participation and fun, said Khonat. It could have been bigger if it wasnt for the holiday, she remarked (the tournament took place during the extended Easter weekend). Judging by the turnout and amount of enthusiasm channelled to this years instalment, there is certainly room for growth and expansion. The response came as a pleasant surprise to Khonat, who explained that her initial tension was immediately eased by a turn out that she described as just amazing. One more sporting option has been made available to Rhodes students already spoilt for choice: internal league table-tennis. Teams of three to five players are permitted to enter, with the cost being a mere R25 per team. Matches are played on Tuesday and Thursday nights in the Hangar, and all the necessary equipment is provided by the Rhodes Table-Tennis Society. Registration is very simple. The first step is to rally up a team, e-mail the snazzy name of your team, as well as the names of your team members and the contact details of your captain to ace.legendary@gmail.com. If you arent able to do this, all that is needed is to find one of the committee members and give them the particulars of your team, and youll be ready to enter the tournament. This is the first edition of the tournament, with its creators finally putting their brainchild into action this

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Rhodes hockey is on the ball

Margo Naude The Rhodes hockey club has started the season off with a powerful swing. Numerous games were played between 13 and 17 April, all setting the bar for a season of highly competitive hockey. On Wednesday 13 April, RU womens 1st team played their first game of the season. The girls walked onto the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) turf with much confidence and came away with a 5-0 win over their B team. Neil Howarth, the womens coach, was chuffed with the win, but warned the players that the next game was not going to be as easy and that the sharpening up of their is used. Sneaky players will fine tune their suits to be the ultimate weapons of stealth, turning invisible faster and staying so for longer. Trigger happy players will find their weapons reloading and firing faster while their armour becomes thicker. A word of warning for online players, your EA account will be your name in-game and cannot be changed, so choose it wisely. The level of detail in this game is staggering and PC owners can look forward to even more, as Crytek has promised to deliver a patch that will add DirectX 11. Patching is the biggest drawback to this game. Users without an internet connection will find this game riddled with bugs and issues that are only being sorted out now. It has been reported that even the console versions have not escaped this. If you cannot acquire the necessary patches, I recommend that you avoid purchasing this game. However the final updated product is definitely worth its value. basic skills was in order to ensure future success. On 16 April they played their first home game but unfortunately lost 1-0 to the fit and feisty NMMU A-side. Keeper, Rosie Dwight, made some energetic saves yet was unlucky with the one goal that went through. On Sunday 17 the Rhodes University mens 1st team played their second away game against NMMU. Dean Ferreiras late goal was not quite enough to gain the men a victory; NMMU secured a 2-1 win over Rhodes. The team managed to redeem themselves by beating Gelvendale 2nds 1-0. According to 1st team striker, Matthew Helm, RU squandered numerous opportunities to put the ball in the box, but nevertheless, they were pleased with the victory. The Thistles team entered their first season of Premier League hockey. They have recently come up against two very strong sides, losing to Old Grey 3-0 and to Gelven 1sts 9-0. Thistles now have two of their major games behind them and can look forward to improved performances. Although many of these teams have to adjust to new structures due to new players entering the sides, much excitement and anticipation lies ahead for the RU hockey club due to the arrival of a professional coach from Germany, who is set to arrive in Grahamstown in the first week of May. The club eagerly awaits the contribution he will make and looks forward to more positive results in the future.

year. As already mentioned, matches are to be played on Tuesday or Thursday nights, from 18:30 to 20:00 every week, and teams will play a maximum of one game a week (until the final stages of the competition). The league will comprise of a group stage, round robin style format. After that, the top teams from the group will advance to the business end of the tournament: a straight knockout elimination stage. The winners move on to the final, and so the champions will be crowned. Prizes are up for grabs for the eventual winners of the league, so be sure to give yourself a chance of winning and enter this innovative competition. One day competitions have also recently been held, with one of the prizes being a brand new table tennis paddle. With this kind of prize available for the one day tournaments, one can only imagine what the prizes for the winners of the league will be. Make sure not to miss the registration deadline and make your way down to the Hangar for an intense, fun-filled league of table tennis.

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Sports
Morgan Collins he recent holiday seems to have done little to deter the determination of the Rhodes netball team as they started the new term with a Saturday of netball hosted by Makana Municipality. Waking up early on the first Saturday back at varsity, the Rhodes netball teams showed few signs, apart from tired eyes, of being used to sleeping in. Despite the early morning shock, a fun-filled morning of netball saw teams battling it out on the Rhodes netball courts. The day got off to a bit of a late start, and back to back matches were played. Starting on a fast paced note, the Madien van der Merwe

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Starting the new term with victory

T
first team took on their coaches team. Playing four quarters of fast and challenging netball, they were able to hold their own until the third quarter. Refusing to allow the students to out-play the teachers, the coaches team widened the gap in the fourth quarter. Goal after goal resulted in a disappointing loss for the first team. It appears that the coach really does know best. Fortunately, not all was lost, the first team kept up their eagerness and were able to come back and take victory in their final match. The second team were able to start and finish on a high note. They won their first match 25-8 and kept up the winning attitude into their second. By the third quarter, of the second teams final match, the rain decided to grace the courts with its presence. As play was stopped, so the rain did too. Waiting a few moments to ensure that the rain actually had stopped, play continued on dangerously wet courts that made play difficult and riddled with foot faults. The second team still managed to slip and slide their way to victory in spite of the frustrating conditions that had not only made play difficult, but had resulted in confusion concerning the match length. Despite the notoriously unpredictable Grahamstown weather, an exciting day of netball was enjoyed by all participants. With a great wake up call for the well-rested Rhodes netball team, it seems that a busy term awaits them. Madien van der Merwe

The Rhodes netball team in action during the recent tournament

Nokwanda Shabangu out-steps her opponent while in possession of the ball

Team Oppi dominate inter-res sports

Andrew Tombs Inter-res sports the highlight of many Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings. This years inter-res sport competition has been no different to any other year, continuing in its good spirit. To date, around-the-block, badminton, canoeing, chess, rowing, swimming, underwater hockey, volleyball and water polo have taken place, with many of the other events being cancelled due to poor weather. The current leaders in the male category are the Oppi men, who were placed first in swimming, rowing, canoeing, chess and around-theblock events. They are the early pace setters on the log with 50 points. The nearest competition to their dominance is Hilltop 3 with 30 points, having placed third in canoeing and underwater hockey, placing second in rowing and winning inter-res volleyball. Team Oppi also head the inter-res womens category, topping the standings with a phenomenal 64 points. Their nearest competition is Hobson house who lie a further 10 points adrift. The Oppi womens performances include a fourth place in water polo, third place in rowing and volleyball, while finishing as runners up in underwater hockey. They were crowned champions in around-the block, canoeing, chess and swimming. The leader in the spirit category for men is currently Guy Butler house with 15 points, with Stanley Kidd one point behind on 14. In the womens spirit category, the leadership is tied between Beit, Adelaide Tambo, Oriel and Olive Schreiner houses. Oppi Girls are placed sixth out of the possible seven places in the Spirit Category, while the Oppi Men have not fared much better and are currently placed ninth out of the possible eleven places. However, this is due to the fact that teams who are placed in the top four of an event receive less Spirit points. All the signs point to the success of the current years inter-res sports competition, yet there are still a few minor problems. Nicholas Schmidt, one of the two sports representatives of De Beers house, mentioned that the biggest problem he has had is the registering of the teams participating in the events. This is due to the fact that the teams need to be registered 48 hours before the event, and this has cut down on the attendance of many teams. When asked for their thoughts on the inter-res events, many students replied with positive feedback, with Caitlin Gibson of Allan Gray stating that the events were organised with great spirit. Kendall Sidey of Atherstone regrets not attending all the events as she missed out on the res spirit. Stefan Ploos van Amstel, a First Year student who has taken part in the majority of the inter-res events this year, saw it as a social event which gives students a chance to try out various sports and make new friends. The remaining fixtures for the second semester include inter-res squash, tennis, cross country and track and field. Students are encouraged to take part as well as support these events to witness the heated battles taking place each week. Will Team Oppi remain at the top, or will one of the residences be crowned champions for 2011?

Rhodes rugby action

Sheldon Fairfoot The Rhodes rugby season is running as smooth as ever this year. Watching the teams battle it out, attempting to reach the top of the log is a tradition that shall never die. Rugby players of the campus teams have been pushing hard to make sure that each match is worth the wait, and that they have a shot at proving that they are indeed the best Rhodes has to offer. Recently, Gush Gushman broke his leg during the Troopers vs Mkhulu Blues game which took place on 15 April. While this incident may have hurt him, chances are that what hurts the most is him missing out on the action for part of the season. Each match night (before taking on the Grahamstown nightlife) hundreds of students can be found cheering on their teams who tackle one another relentlessly to determine the best of the best. On the field, the outcome is never certain, but once done, there are only two sure things, one happy team, and one happy crowd. Shifting focus to on-field matters, a full set of fixtures took place on 21 April, where a large crowd braved the cold and were treated to some entertaining rugby. The results of those games are as follows: Founders vs Troopers: 51 - 0 Wolves vs Mkhulu Blues: 27 - 15 Heathens vs The Hill: 19 10 One may hear the common argument bemoaning The Hill having a larger selection pool. Although such a statement may in some way be true, fact remains that they are definitely one of the most talked about teams. The skill they have shown thus far on the field has served them well as they remain strong contenders among the Rhodes rugby teams. I dont want to brag about the Hill but [its] looking like one of the strong contenders alongside the new team on the block The Wolves, says Danny Harris on behalf of The Hill rugby team. As far as The Hill is concerned, At the moment the team to beat is the Heathens. The anticipation following this game is well deserved. The Heathens are thus far unbeaten, and when these two teams eventually clash, it is going to be a battle that Rhodes rugby fans cannot afford to miss. On the other hand, be on the lookout for the new rugby team, The Wolves, who are making a grand entry onto the rugby scene by showing plenty of skill and determination.

Rhodes rugby standings:

Team Wolves Heathens The Hill Founders P 4 3 4 3 W 3 3 3 1 1 1 0 L 1 0 1 2 2 2 4 Pts Diff +23 +36 +21 +31 +2 -12 -97 Total 14 12 12 6 5 4 1

Mkhulu Blues 3 Dream Team Troopers 3 4