Dear Christine
I enjoyed your post as I can totally relate to the feeling of homesickness! I really enjoyed the creative way in which you try to deal with this homesickness through knitting. It is definitely not something I would have thought of, but losing yourself in the colours is something that appeals to me. I am a first year student at Rhodes University in South Africa and have had a fair share of homesickness throughout the year. I have recently started blogging with a group of students and one of my posts was about the "homesickness beastie" and how it affected me. Feel free to check it out.
Gabi
Friday, October 24, 2008
Reflecting on our blog
This course on blogging has stretched me as a person in so many ways and given me a fantastic opportunity to write as much as possible! I remember how excited I was when I first realized that we were doing something as fun as blogging as part of our syllabus.
I was frustrated in the beginning though because I was constantly rehearsing for our drama practical exams and did not have enough time to write extra blog posts when I really wanted to. It is for this reason that my productivity in terms of the blog started off relatively slowly. Luckily I am in a group where everyone takes their work quite seriously and works diligently. This meant that our group meetings generally went quite well even though there were differences in opinion on occasion. It also meant that the work load in initially setting up our blog was shared. I am not the greatest fan of group work, but being part of such an enthusiastic group was refreshing and I learnt to be more tolerant of other people’s ideas instead of wanting to have only my ideas used.
I was amazed by the fact that once my head was in the blogging mode, it became so easy to think of story ideas. Most of my story ideas were things that I would think of at any random point during the day. I did not always blog on these ideas, but the things I did blog about were mostly personal experiences and therefore not really researched as such. My interview for the profile article went really well. Luckily for me, the girl I interviewed, Lara, is very easy to get along with and talkative. I was faced with the dilemma though of not having a story with a big Todorovian disruption of any sorts and no Proppian villains, as Lara had quite a happy first year. I tried very hard to keep the profile piece as interesting as possible with the little bit I had to work with, but was disappointed in the mark I got. This however encouraged me to work even harder on my other posts, be it the academic or extra ones.
After blogging for a while I found that I had fallen naturally into a kind of blogging genre writing style. My blog posts seem to have become quite casual and chatty rather than formal or academic. Because the extra posts only have to be 200 words long, I tended to write each post as one paragraph and when it came to actually writing an essay it felt like I had forgotten how to make paragraphs which gave me a good laugh! I definitely think that the genre restrictions of blogging did limit my writing in some ways. There were often times when I wanted to write about issues that I had thought about but it either didn’t relate to first year and therefore to our blog, or I was not necessarily comfortable sharing it on a blog with group members who know me personally. We had also originally decided to keep our blog quite light hearted, but I found that sometimes a post warranted a more serious tone, in which case I decided to go ahead and write in that tone so long as it was relevant to our blog’s theme. Another thing that I found strange was having to include these “academic” comments on other people’s blogs where we had to incorporate the different narrative theorists into our comments. In light of a blogging genre, it felt unnatural to me to post comments of a more academic nature.
Although my blogging experience as a whole was very positive I had and still have a huge issue with the ethics or lack of ethics involved in some of the other blogs. I enjoyed writing an opinion piece and I found it quite challenging as it is definitely something that is hard to write well. I was absolutely horrified though while reading through some of the opinion pieces on other blogs. There were a few xenophobic and homophobic posts that made my blood curdle because as far as I’m concerned they were bad enough to be classified as hate speech. This is unacceptable in the world of journalism and I do not believe that this is the aim of an opinion piece. I think it is fantastic that people have strong opinions about issues and that they are brave enough to voice them, but to be so blatantly homophobic on a public blog is not on. Click here to see an example of a homophobic blog post.
My group did not seem to have any problems in terms of writing ethically, but after emailing some of my blog posts to my mom yesterday just for her interest, I got quite a surprising reply. My mom who understandably is not familiar with blogging and does not understand the genre was quite offended by one of my posts as she felt that it was stereotyping, unfair and could even be regarded as gender hate speech. I was obviously quite shocked by my mom’s reply as my post was not intended to be stereotypical or hate speech, it was merely commenting on an incident which involved the inappropriate advances by an elderly man, and then relating that issue to a more general audience and appealing to that audience not to fall into the same trap. Although I don’t think my mom realizes the diary nature of blogs and she misunderstood the intention of my post, which was meant to have quite a strong impact, her reaction made me realize that one has to be very careful when writing and always make sure that your intention is clear and that you aren’t employing hate speech or stereotyping devices.
Overall this blogging course has allowed me to write extensively on a very wide range of topics and I would say that my personal growth was about eight. Thank you to Sim and Alette for a challenging but fun course, Hailey for all your help and to my great blog group!
I was frustrated in the beginning though because I was constantly rehearsing for our drama practical exams and did not have enough time to write extra blog posts when I really wanted to. It is for this reason that my productivity in terms of the blog started off relatively slowly. Luckily I am in a group where everyone takes their work quite seriously and works diligently. This meant that our group meetings generally went quite well even though there were differences in opinion on occasion. It also meant that the work load in initially setting up our blog was shared. I am not the greatest fan of group work, but being part of such an enthusiastic group was refreshing and I learnt to be more tolerant of other people’s ideas instead of wanting to have only my ideas used.
I was amazed by the fact that once my head was in the blogging mode, it became so easy to think of story ideas. Most of my story ideas were things that I would think of at any random point during the day. I did not always blog on these ideas, but the things I did blog about were mostly personal experiences and therefore not really researched as such. My interview for the profile article went really well. Luckily for me, the girl I interviewed, Lara, is very easy to get along with and talkative. I was faced with the dilemma though of not having a story with a big Todorovian disruption of any sorts and no Proppian villains, as Lara had quite a happy first year. I tried very hard to keep the profile piece as interesting as possible with the little bit I had to work with, but was disappointed in the mark I got. This however encouraged me to work even harder on my other posts, be it the academic or extra ones.
After blogging for a while I found that I had fallen naturally into a kind of blogging genre writing style. My blog posts seem to have become quite casual and chatty rather than formal or academic. Because the extra posts only have to be 200 words long, I tended to write each post as one paragraph and when it came to actually writing an essay it felt like I had forgotten how to make paragraphs which gave me a good laugh! I definitely think that the genre restrictions of blogging did limit my writing in some ways. There were often times when I wanted to write about issues that I had thought about but it either didn’t relate to first year and therefore to our blog, or I was not necessarily comfortable sharing it on a blog with group members who know me personally. We had also originally decided to keep our blog quite light hearted, but I found that sometimes a post warranted a more serious tone, in which case I decided to go ahead and write in that tone so long as it was relevant to our blog’s theme. Another thing that I found strange was having to include these “academic” comments on other people’s blogs where we had to incorporate the different narrative theorists into our comments. In light of a blogging genre, it felt unnatural to me to post comments of a more academic nature.
Although my blogging experience as a whole was very positive I had and still have a huge issue with the ethics or lack of ethics involved in some of the other blogs. I enjoyed writing an opinion piece and I found it quite challenging as it is definitely something that is hard to write well. I was absolutely horrified though while reading through some of the opinion pieces on other blogs. There were a few xenophobic and homophobic posts that made my blood curdle because as far as I’m concerned they were bad enough to be classified as hate speech. This is unacceptable in the world of journalism and I do not believe that this is the aim of an opinion piece. I think it is fantastic that people have strong opinions about issues and that they are brave enough to voice them, but to be so blatantly homophobic on a public blog is not on. Click here to see an example of a homophobic blog post.
My group did not seem to have any problems in terms of writing ethically, but after emailing some of my blog posts to my mom yesterday just for her interest, I got quite a surprising reply. My mom who understandably is not familiar with blogging and does not understand the genre was quite offended by one of my posts as she felt that it was stereotyping, unfair and could even be regarded as gender hate speech. I was obviously quite shocked by my mom’s reply as my post was not intended to be stereotypical or hate speech, it was merely commenting on an incident which involved the inappropriate advances by an elderly man, and then relating that issue to a more general audience and appealing to that audience not to fall into the same trap. Although I don’t think my mom realizes the diary nature of blogs and she misunderstood the intention of my post, which was meant to have quite a strong impact, her reaction made me realize that one has to be very careful when writing and always make sure that your intention is clear and that you aren’t employing hate speech or stereotyping devices.
Overall this blogging course has allowed me to write extensively on a very wide range of topics and I would say that my personal growth was about eight. Thank you to Sim and Alette for a challenging but fun course, Hailey for all your help and to my great blog group!
I would not trade it for the world...
On hearing that we would be blogging during this course my first thought was of disbelief and went along the lines of “I did not come to university to learn how to blog, any idiot can do that”. Well having today at exactly 11:15 officially reached the end of the narrative and genre course I am happy to admit that I was wrong and that although blogging was very different from anything that I have seen or done before it deserves its place in the Journalism & Media Studies course.
Most of the work that we have done in our Journalism & Media Studies course has been done individually, which suited me fine as I tend to be a perfectionist. You know the old saying “if you want something done right you need to do it yourself” well I’m pretty sure they based that on me. I was then as you can imagine not exactly impressed to find out that our blog assignment was to be done in groups. Now no one who has ever done group work can blame me for my initial feelings of “oh no” and the sarcastic “this is going to be fun” as eight out of ten times group work results in a few people carrying the weight of the entire group. The nightmare that is usually group work turned into a dream for me as I was lucky enough to be placed with four fantastic ladies who have made working in a group an absolute pleasure. Meetings were easily organised and attendance was never a problem. We approached our blog as if we were adventurers exploring newly found territory each watching out for our fellow explorers. Together we navigated the technical difficulties and even on one occasion fought and defeated the ‘Comeeko beast’.
The course had the constraint of a genre but that never stopped our creativity as it could work along side the genre. Our blogs had to be based on the experiences of being a first year at university, which was not a difficult genre to work within as all five of us are currently first years at Rhodes University. It was actually a liberating experience because besides the compulsory posts such as the profile, opinion and the letter to our younger selves’ pieces we were given creative licence to blog about whatever we liked as long as it related to first years or university students. In this respect even though we were working in groups each teammate was responsible for their own productivity in the form of posts. I really enjoyed this aspect of the assignment as it allowed me to work as an individual within the team. I discovered that blogging could be a great way to relieve stress and get things off my chest. These made me more productive and actually want to blog. Especially when I realised that by sharing events and feelings that were happening in my life I could help other people realise that they are not alone in the way they felt.
The character of our blog never restricted my story ideas as it was ‘a day in the life of five diverse students’ which allowed us a broad scope for imagination and creativity. I did feel that I was restricted slightly by the imagined audience’s judgement of my opinions. I always thought carefully about how my fellow classmates would react to what I had written before I hit the ‘publish post’ button. I do not consider this a negative aspect because I think that all writers whether professionals or amateurs should think about the impact of their words before they release them upon the world as once they are out there you can not take them back.
It is for this reason that research is also of importance as what you write is going to be read not only by your classmates but by anyone in the world. It is therefore wise to make sure that you have researched your subject and do not write rubbish that will undermine your credibility. I learnt this early on just because I did not want to be embarrassed by my posts especially the profile that I did. The profile was the post that required the most research as well as dealing with people as sources. People love to talk or at else the ladies in my residence do which made getting story ideas that much easier.
I believe that during this assignment my writing has flourished. I have learnt from my mistakes as well as those of my classmates in what has a positive or negative impact. It also allowed me to experiment with my writing techniques and try new things like the letter to my younger self which I never would have written if it were not for this course. Blogging has opened a whole new world for me in terms of personal growth and a different way in which to fulfil my professional goals. I have actually started my own blog which I intended to use to showcase my photographs and interact with other photography bloggers in order to expand on my skills.
At the beginning of this course I thought that blogging was something akin to a diary and had absolutely nothing to do with journalism but I was wrong. This kind of citizen journalism could be the news of the future. It is interactive, informative and fun. What more could you ask for!
Reminiscing
I found the genre of blogging for people my own age highly stimulating. At first I didn’t blog beyond my assignments but gradually I became more comfortable with the genre and would come back to res with lots of ideas for blog posts. Putting an opinion out there is both scary and liberating. Chances are that someone has had a similar experience. This has lead me to understand that often I think I’m the only one whose felt lonely or conflicted but instead these are common issues within the first year group.
I found myself writing far more this term than ever before. And I really enjoyed being able to explore opinion pieces as well as revisit Profile writing. I found that, especially in my Profile, my writing had improved greatly. I think this is because I’ve written far more than in previous terms which has meant that I’ve began to practice writing skills. For the first time I felt like I merged the theory of writing with the practice of it.
I found generating ideas for the group assignments like the blog planner or Comic very easy because the audience were people like me. I felt confident voicing my opinions with my group as they are all people whose I respect as equals. The dynamic in our group was a good one with everyone being accountable to their work. In working a group I got a better sense of what interests the average first year as I was working with four of them. Often their response to issues would inspire my story ideas. The assignment briefs were also rather open to interpretation which meant that I didn’t feel stifled. The things that I felt passionate about, like Student Volunteership, could often be used in an assignment.
Working in a group meant learning to work around other people’s schedules instead of my own. I found this challenging as most of the time the meetings would happen at the end of the day or in the evening, times when I really wasn’t in the mood to debate colour choices of text for 20 minutes. All of us had strong opions often leading to lengthy debates about the blog. But these debates always resulted in good choices for our blog even if it involved 20 minutes of discussion. All of us are creative people meaning that we could build on one another’s ideas thereby making the idea stronger and better.
I felt that this term was about a seven in personal growth. I intend on specialising in television so working with a group is a fundamental part of this discipline. And if I take nothing away from this experience, I’ll take the skills of group work with me. I learnt to be far more cooperative in a group as well as learning not try to control everything. Delegation was another major skill I learnt. I tend to want to do everything on my own but I was able to trust my group to do their work. I was able to become far more accountable in terms of doing my share of the work and in coming to meetings. So personally I’m far more patient and supportive of others. Professionally I am cementing the skills that I’ll need in my future career.
I do believe that Blogging can be used as a form of Journalism as journalism is founded on the ability to communicate with the masses. As we move forward into a far more technological age where face-to-face communication is being bypassed by the web, Journalism needs to adapt to meet its consumers’ new lifestyles. This can be done through blogging. Blogging not only appeals to the masses that have internet access but also connects many people via the internet. Blogging also moves journalism out of the professional realm and into the civilian journalist arena. This has been happening for a while what with pictures from people's cell phones being used in hard news. Blogging also requires far less time and money than a television broadcast needs.
This theme meant that we were never short of ideas as most people in first year were experiencing what we were. We could draw inspiration from our personal lives as well as from Grahamstown. The disadvantages were that I soon grew tired of the restrictions of the category. It seemed that everyone was tackling the same issue like first year spread and it became harder to put an original spin on an issue. For example with our photo comic, we had to think quite hard to find something original in the overused idea of spiked drinks.
With regards to researching facts, I found that most of my blog posts didn’t need any research since they were inspired by personal experience and therefore very subjective. In the instance when I blogged on student volunteering, I only referenced the CSD webpage on the Rhodes homepage though hyperlinks. When writing my profile article my research was limited to Franci Williamson’s facebook page and to her friends. I feel that my blogging assignments didn’t need any research. Had I been doing an article that was based on facts and statistics and not my own personal experience then research would have been necessary.
Dealing with sources was remarkably easy since most of the first years on campus had heard about the Journ one blogging assignments and were interested in them. Most people weren’t intimidated by the fact that their opinions could be read all over the world. Instead they were excited and far more willing to participate. The issues that we dealt with weren’t heavy for the blog since everyone is affected by spiked drinks or sexual harassment. This gave us the freedom to express ourselves relatively anonymously.
I really enjoyed the relaxed genre of blogging. I was able to make my writing far more personal by discussing my personal opinions and experiences. I didn’t feel restricted by style and tone which made me feel far more comfortable with blogging. In fact I often came back to res inspired by the day and wanting to blog about it.
This week when I wanted to post Philippa Yaa De Villiers’ poem Tea is for Thabo, I stopped myself since it is quite a controversial poem. I realised that even though I feel free to express my political views others don’t feel the same. I would post it on my own blog since I think many South Africans needs to read it but I wouldn’t post it on my group’s blog because it doesn’t represent everyone’s feelings. So ethically I realised that even though blogging allows for a lot of freedom, I should be sensitive about posting things which aren’t shared by my team members.
Looking back, this assignment of blogging has been the most fun and interesting. The combination of theory, practice as well as group work have made it both educational and fun.
I found myself writing far more this term than ever before. And I really enjoyed being able to explore opinion pieces as well as revisit Profile writing. I found that, especially in my Profile, my writing had improved greatly. I think this is because I’ve written far more than in previous terms which has meant that I’ve began to practice writing skills. For the first time I felt like I merged the theory of writing with the practice of it.
I found generating ideas for the group assignments like the blog planner or Comic very easy because the audience were people like me. I felt confident voicing my opinions with my group as they are all people whose I respect as equals. The dynamic in our group was a good one with everyone being accountable to their work. In working a group I got a better sense of what interests the average first year as I was working with four of them. Often their response to issues would inspire my story ideas. The assignment briefs were also rather open to interpretation which meant that I didn’t feel stifled. The things that I felt passionate about, like Student Volunteership, could often be used in an assignment.
Working in a group meant learning to work around other people’s schedules instead of my own. I found this challenging as most of the time the meetings would happen at the end of the day or in the evening, times when I really wasn’t in the mood to debate colour choices of text for 20 minutes. All of us had strong opions often leading to lengthy debates about the blog. But these debates always resulted in good choices for our blog even if it involved 20 minutes of discussion. All of us are creative people meaning that we could build on one another’s ideas thereby making the idea stronger and better.
I felt that this term was about a seven in personal growth. I intend on specialising in television so working with a group is a fundamental part of this discipline. And if I take nothing away from this experience, I’ll take the skills of group work with me. I learnt to be far more cooperative in a group as well as learning not try to control everything. Delegation was another major skill I learnt. I tend to want to do everything on my own but I was able to trust my group to do their work. I was able to become far more accountable in terms of doing my share of the work and in coming to meetings. So personally I’m far more patient and supportive of others. Professionally I am cementing the skills that I’ll need in my future career.
I do believe that Blogging can be used as a form of Journalism as journalism is founded on the ability to communicate with the masses. As we move forward into a far more technological age where face-to-face communication is being bypassed by the web, Journalism needs to adapt to meet its consumers’ new lifestyles. This can be done through blogging. Blogging not only appeals to the masses that have internet access but also connects many people via the internet. Blogging also moves journalism out of the professional realm and into the civilian journalist arena. This has been happening for a while what with pictures from people's cell phones being used in hard news. Blogging also requires far less time and money than a television broadcast needs.
This theme meant that we were never short of ideas as most people in first year were experiencing what we were. We could draw inspiration from our personal lives as well as from Grahamstown. The disadvantages were that I soon grew tired of the restrictions of the category. It seemed that everyone was tackling the same issue like first year spread and it became harder to put an original spin on an issue. For example with our photo comic, we had to think quite hard to find something original in the overused idea of spiked drinks.
With regards to researching facts, I found that most of my blog posts didn’t need any research since they were inspired by personal experience and therefore very subjective. In the instance when I blogged on student volunteering, I only referenced the CSD webpage on the Rhodes homepage though hyperlinks. When writing my profile article my research was limited to Franci Williamson’s facebook page and to her friends. I feel that my blogging assignments didn’t need any research. Had I been doing an article that was based on facts and statistics and not my own personal experience then research would have been necessary.
Dealing with sources was remarkably easy since most of the first years on campus had heard about the Journ one blogging assignments and were interested in them. Most people weren’t intimidated by the fact that their opinions could be read all over the world. Instead they were excited and far more willing to participate. The issues that we dealt with weren’t heavy for the blog since everyone is affected by spiked drinks or sexual harassment. This gave us the freedom to express ourselves relatively anonymously.
I really enjoyed the relaxed genre of blogging. I was able to make my writing far more personal by discussing my personal opinions and experiences. I didn’t feel restricted by style and tone which made me feel far more comfortable with blogging. In fact I often came back to res inspired by the day and wanting to blog about it.
This week when I wanted to post Philippa Yaa De Villiers’ poem Tea is for Thabo, I stopped myself since it is quite a controversial poem. I realised that even though I feel free to express my political views others don’t feel the same. I would post it on my own blog since I think many South Africans needs to read it but I wouldn’t post it on my group’s blog because it doesn’t represent everyone’s feelings. So ethically I realised that even though blogging allows for a lot of freedom, I should be sensitive about posting things which aren’t shared by my team members.
Looking back, this assignment of blogging has been the most fun and interesting. The combination of theory, practice as well as group work have made it both educational and fun.
Connecting our blog with the outside world
Hi Ashlea,
My name is Tarryn and I am currently a Journalism & Media Studies student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. I just want to say how much I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for the advice that you give in this post in particular. I am just about to write my first year final exams and have been doubting whether I should be studying at all. Stumbling across your blog inspired me again as it always helps to hear of people who have achieved and found a way to the end of the studying tunnel. It is also reassuring to know that there are those that think it is worth the effort, time and investment. Our journalism class is currently doing a new media course in which we are blogging in groups to learn about narrative and genre. Our group is called 'Tales from a Rhodent' if you would like to take a look. I also have my own blog that I just started called 'Drawing Life with Light'.
All the best with your thesis!
Kind regards
Tarryn
My name is Tarryn and I am currently a Journalism & Media Studies student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. I just want to say how much I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for the advice that you give in this post in particular. I am just about to write my first year final exams and have been doubting whether I should be studying at all. Stumbling across your blog inspired me again as it always helps to hear of people who have achieved and found a way to the end of the studying tunnel. It is also reassuring to know that there are those that think it is worth the effort, time and investment. Our journalism class is currently doing a new media course in which we are blogging in groups to learn about narrative and genre. Our group is called 'Tales from a Rhodent' if you would like to take a look. I also have my own blog that I just started called 'Drawing Life with Light'.
All the best with your thesis!
Kind regards
Tarryn
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Vanilla and Caramel scoops taste good together!
*Ice-Cream*: Have the same flavoured ice-cream...
Hi Miss Persy
From the point of view from someone who has been in an interracial relationship for a year and a half, I have to say that I disagree with a lot of what you had to say. I am a white woman who dated a guy with an Indian father and Chinese mother. You mentioned that having an interracial relationship is complicated, yet don't you think that if you manage to overcome those complications your relationship will be stronger? You also say that it is not easy accommodating something different. I think that this depends on each individual as for everyone it will be different. I know that I embraced my boyfriend's family and the cultural differences just as they embraced me. My family members that met my boyfriend also accepted him, even though I did not expect them to, because they managed to see him as a person rather than as someone who is different from us. In many ways I found that I related to this "Chindian" guy alot better than I did to my "own kind" as you call it. You will experience difficulties in any relationship whether it be interracial or not and it is how you handle those difficulties that will determine how your relationship turns out. Being in an interracial relationship you learn to ignore comments from narrow-minded people and concentrate rather on your own happiness. Having been in an interracial relationship is something I would never want to change- it was by far one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life and I would recommend it to everyone. If it wasn't for the distance that now separates me and my Chindian man, we would most probably still be together...
Gabi
Hi Miss Persy
From the point of view from someone who has been in an interracial relationship for a year and a half, I have to say that I disagree with a lot of what you had to say. I am a white woman who dated a guy with an Indian father and Chinese mother. You mentioned that having an interracial relationship is complicated, yet don't you think that if you manage to overcome those complications your relationship will be stronger? You also say that it is not easy accommodating something different. I think that this depends on each individual as for everyone it will be different. I know that I embraced my boyfriend's family and the cultural differences just as they embraced me. My family members that met my boyfriend also accepted him, even though I did not expect them to, because they managed to see him as a person rather than as someone who is different from us. In many ways I found that I related to this "Chindian" guy alot better than I did to my "own kind" as you call it. You will experience difficulties in any relationship whether it be interracial or not and it is how you handle those difficulties that will determine how your relationship turns out. Being in an interracial relationship you learn to ignore comments from narrow-minded people and concentrate rather on your own happiness. Having been in an interracial relationship is something I would never want to change- it was by far one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life and I would recommend it to everyone. If it wasn't for the distance that now separates me and my Chindian man, we would most probably still be together...
Gabi
Complaints to the Next Teller Please
Death by Journalism: Cry of the Complainer
I happen to disagree with your argument that many of the first year Journalism students complain about the course work and due dates given due to them having a negative effect on their social lives. I, together with four friends who also do JMS1, have not had much of a social life this whole year due to our various subject choices. Taking Journalism together with subjects such as English, Politics and Drama have proven to be lethal combinations that require constant dedication and many all-nighters from us. Together with Journalism, I am also a Drama 1 student and have spent the past few weeks of my life on centre stage rehearsing for our practical exams and not out at the Rat and Parrot getting sloshed. On top of the late night rehearsals I have had English and Classical Civilizations essays and readings as well as Journalism assignments ranging from 150 words to 1000 words. I understand that many people do not like to pull their weight and expect to be spoon fed answers but when many of us complain about some of the assignments given, it is mainly due to them clashing with other assignments from other courses and not out of shear laziness. I enjoy Journalism and its competitiveness, and understand that varsity is not just a joy ride but on top of essays and assignments, not all of us can produce written masterpieces within a 15 minute period as some lecturers might think. It is also important and healthy that students have fun at varsity whilst focusing on the academic aspects of varsity life, so going out with friends on a Friday night or playing for a sports team instead of spending the night studying might not be such a bad thing. Maybe you should interview more than one person who complains about Journalism and find out the reasons why we make such complaints before making such claims.
I happen to disagree with your argument that many of the first year Journalism students complain about the course work and due dates given due to them having a negative effect on their social lives. I, together with four friends who also do JMS1, have not had much of a social life this whole year due to our various subject choices. Taking Journalism together with subjects such as English, Politics and Drama have proven to be lethal combinations that require constant dedication and many all-nighters from us. Together with Journalism, I am also a Drama 1 student and have spent the past few weeks of my life on centre stage rehearsing for our practical exams and not out at the Rat and Parrot getting sloshed. On top of the late night rehearsals I have had English and Classical Civilizations essays and readings as well as Journalism assignments ranging from 150 words to 1000 words. I understand that many people do not like to pull their weight and expect to be spoon fed answers but when many of us complain about some of the assignments given, it is mainly due to them clashing with other assignments from other courses and not out of shear laziness. I enjoy Journalism and its competitiveness, and understand that varsity is not just a joy ride but on top of essays and assignments, not all of us can produce written masterpieces within a 15 minute period as some lecturers might think. It is also important and healthy that students have fun at varsity whilst focusing on the academic aspects of varsity life, so going out with friends on a Friday night or playing for a sports team instead of spending the night studying might not be such a bad thing. Maybe you should interview more than one person who complains about Journalism and find out the reasons why we make such complaints before making such claims.
Experiences. Stories. First Year.: Oh shame, you went to a private school.
Experiences. Stories. First Year.: Oh shame, you went to a private school.: I agree with your argument that the being from a private school can often be detrimental. As a matriculant from Crawford College, I’ve had my fair share of ‘rich girl’ and ‘snob’ comments. I often feel uncomfortable admitting to being from Crawford. But I disagree with you when you say that you aren’t sure what your parents paid for. I know that the education I received was above par for most people. And I’m grateful for the lengths that Crawford went to, to ensure the high standard of Matric results that I received. These included early morning tutorials and a week of winter school where we corrected problems from the June exams. I know that often, the private school category works against us like in the JMS2 application but I know that the education I received has ensured that I am coping academically and that the jump from Matric to University has been that small compared to others. So yes, the system isn’t fair. But the benefits of my private school education have ensured that I am more than ready for second and third year and can move beyond the system.
Out of your SPACE: Homosexuality at Rhodes
Out of your SPACE: Homosexuality at Rhodes
Firstly I would like to congratulate you for having the courage to post this opinion on your blog. It is obviously a topic that you feel deeply about or you just felt like stirring the pot knowing that your post would not go down well. I personally thought that your argument lacked authority and was filled with assumptions which challenged your credibility. I was left with many absurd questions like how do ‘innocent’ people become ‘victims’ of gay/lesbians? If you were referring to the fact that a straight person might receive unwanted attention from a gay/lesbian then I would not necessarily consider that a ‘victim’ situation. Never mind the use of the terms ‘innocent’ and ‘victim’ which I find rather offensive. I can not believe that someone living in South Africa could be so anti-tolerant of people’s cultures and personal choices, as that is how you came across. The fact that you think that Rhodes and senior students have “corrupted a lot of first years” into becoming gay is ridiculous and as an argument has no legs to stand on.
If your intention was to cause a stir well you definitely succeeded but I’m afraid you will find that you failed to gain any support for your argument.
Firstly I would like to congratulate you for having the courage to post this opinion on your blog. It is obviously a topic that you feel deeply about or you just felt like stirring the pot knowing that your post would not go down well. I personally thought that your argument lacked authority and was filled with assumptions which challenged your credibility. I was left with many absurd questions like how do ‘innocent’ people become ‘victims’ of gay/lesbians? If you were referring to the fact that a straight person might receive unwanted attention from a gay/lesbian then I would not necessarily consider that a ‘victim’ situation. Never mind the use of the terms ‘innocent’ and ‘victim’ which I find rather offensive. I can not believe that someone living in South Africa could be so anti-tolerant of people’s cultures and personal choices, as that is how you came across. The fact that you think that Rhodes and senior students have “corrupted a lot of first years” into becoming gay is ridiculous and as an argument has no legs to stand on.
If your intention was to cause a stir well you definitely succeeded but I’m afraid you will find that you failed to gain any support for your argument.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I never knew just what it was about this old Coffee Shop I love so much
Today when it was spitting rain for the entire day, all I wanted was to sit in a coffee shop akin to Central Perk in Friends. Coffee shops epitomise what it means to be a student; a place for intellectual conversations surrounded by books and artistic people. Forget drinks at the Rat or dancing at Union! Maybe I’ve been influenced by Friends or by the days when the Impressionist Artists gathered in French café’s to talk about art, politics and literature. Normally, I get my caffeine fix from Homeground Cafe (which serves Joburg standard coffee but at Joburg prices). But by the time I got to Homeground it was closed. This led me to try out Reddits, this tiny café down New Street. As I stepped out of the rain, I was greeted by a warm fire and friendly smiles. Reddits is both a café and bookshop. Surrounded by books and enjoying a steaming hot cappuccino epitomised my vision of varsity. Even better are the prices of drinks and food with a cappuccino only costing R10. Reddits has a book room, upstairs café and garden area. If you’re anything like me and value a good cappuccino, tranquil atmosphere and a little intellectual stimulation you’ll love Reddits.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weekday distractions: Part 2
Like I mentioned in part one, on Tuesday night I was distracted and landed up at the Old Gaol. But I wasn’t the only one being distracted. The Gaol is the type of place where you meet new people very quickly and easily. So it wasn’t long before I was chatting to a married man, who informed me that he had a 12-day-old daughter, and also to a funky, sexy female British student who happens to be engaged. To cut a long story short at some point during the night, married man told sexy girl that if he wasn’t married and she wasn’t engaged then he would be kissing her... It is this type of comment that makes my blood boil and has contributed to the disillusionment and man-hate that I am already feeling at the moment. What happened to the days when marriage was a sacred union? Or am I just being old-fashioned? Although I am not particularly religious, I still believe that if you get married (esp. In a church), you are not only making a promise to your new spouse, but also to God. Although not everyone believes in this it is still something that should be taken into consideration otherwise what on earth is the point on getting married in the first place??? I am not against a married person going out and having fun either, but once you are married there are certain ways of behaving that become inappropriate. Once again I question myself and ask if am I just reinforcing these conventions of society or am I right in believing that a promise is something that should be respected and honoured? These are distractions that could cost you your marriage and it could cost a 12-day-old little girl the privilege of growing up in an unbroken family.
Weekday distractions: Part 1
Going out is a normal part of most first year’s experience at University. My going out experiences started somewhat slower than the rest of the other first years though. I had a lot of fun in O-week, but never totally let go and once lectures etc started I made sure that I only went out on weekend nights and not during the week. I can’t say that I wasn’t envious of all the girls in my res who would make an effort to dress up for Wednesday night theme parties at the Union while I conscientiously stayed in to work. The corridors on Wednesday evenings were always filled with laughter and the mad running around of girls looking for crazy outfits to wear. I would have loved to have joined them but a combination of shyness and not knowing how to approach them and wanting to take my work seriously meant that I never did. The first semester turned out to be a hellish one for me, but by the second semester I felt more settled, happier and the third term became my O-week. I started going out every weekend and at least one night a week if not more. I have since met many fantastic people and my group of friends has grown! We are right in the middle of fourth term, yet I still find myself tempted to go out during the week whether I have work to do or not. And for some reason Tuesday nights are the most tempting. No, not because of the R10 draughts served at The Rat on Tuesdays, but purely by coincidence. Take last Tuesday night for example: After getting back from the film festival, a friend came to visit and eventually I got dragged off to chill at a digs VIA the Old Gaol. Now, I don’t regret this at all, but I suffered from a lack of sleep the next day and a bit more work to do than necessary. The previous Tuesday was meant to be a quiet ice-cream at Steers, which turned into quiet R10 draughts at the Rat. The Tuesday before that was Cow Moon Theory, The Rat, The Old Gaol... etc etc etc. I have decided to give up fighting weekday distractions as they are not necessarily a bad thing. So long as I still manage to strike a balance between work and play without getting overly distracted, I should be fine...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Student Budgeting - The Sum Of All Fears
Leaving the school uniform behind and coming to varsity has its advantages. You get to gain some independence from the parents, meet new people, unwind at your local haunts without being asked for ID and finally graduate with a degree (hopefully) but it isn’t all fun and games. Varsity life can be quite a costly business. Whilst living at home you don’t have to worry about the food prices increasing, the cost of petrol or your pocket money ever running out thanks to having a mobile ATM, aka your mum or dad, by your side 24/7. So where are students going wrong? Surely if our parents can manage, so can we, right?
There are certain requirements when it comes to being a Rhodent that didn’t apply to any of us when we attended school. Before a big night out on the town a new outfit has to be bought, pre-drinks need to be chilled and a small sum of money needs to be tucked away for sobering oneself up with Pirates Pizza. All of the above would have all been taken care of when living under our parent’s roof thanks to a little thing called Mastercard. The repetition of this weekly spending spree usually results in many students uttering budgeting plans for the next month which naturally fall away as soon as shear desperation results in a phone call home asking for some extra cash.
Other wallet lighteners for students at Rhodes include having to buy litres of bottled water each week from Pick ‘n Pay or Checkers due to Grahamstown water tasting like it’s from the toilet cistern. Fantastic! I have yet to find another varsity where the faeces content of the water out-numbers the H20 particles. I’m still waiting for my drink to suddenly come to life or grow fangs like a failed experiment from a science fiction movie. Thank you very much Makana Municipality. I’m sure you must have a fantastic deal with the Grahamstown food stores who are rolling in boodle due to selling so many bottles of a natural resource, which flows basically for free from our taps, in non-biodegradable bottles. No wonder students are feeling the pinch at the end of every month. If we get tired of carrying 10 litres of water up the hill every week and finally decide to stop buying it, we then have to pay medical fees due to health issues caused by highly contaminated H20. Nice one!
Res food adds to a student’s struggling cash flow. Not only are many of the res food options usually inedible, they’re usually unrecognisable too, so naturally students avoid eating the donkey meat with gravy option and choose to buy ready-made meals which are stomach friendly. This shouldn’t be the case seeing as staying in res costs our parents around R20 000 a year. Don’t get me wrong, not all res food is bad nor do all students hate it, but not being able to decide if your meal consists of beef or rat meat makes one wonder if spending a few extra bucks on nibbles from Pick ‘n Pay isn’t worth it. It may not be the healthiest option for a student’s wallet but with the current craze of being thin, maybe your wallet losing a few pounds isn’t such a bad thing.
As a student at Rhodes I have learnt that I have a fantastic ability to spend money but am useless at counting it, hence me being a BJourn student and not a BCom student, so saving a few extra Rand every month has been a bit challenging. After being tired of trying to stretch R20 over a two week period, I decided to try and satisfy my spending addiction whilst making use of the many student discounts that are available from various food and clothing stores. It hasn’t been easy due to a girl needing nearly every new product that appears on the pages of Cosmo but by cutting down on the nights out and making use of a few money saving tips from the parents, I have managed to avoid the dreaded pinch before pay day and no longer fear the balance on my ATM slips.
Academic Freedom?
There is the common misconception that academics at Rhodes University promote academic freedom. Of course they do, it sounds good and they punt it in their lectures. We are encouraged to create our own arguments and take a strong stand on our views. Isn’t this great I first thought! But the reality is something quite different and first year students, specifically BA students suffer under a system which suppresses academic freedom. You find yourself having to choose between either making a stand and promoting your own arguments or getting a first. Getting a first involves, as I eventually discovered, providing a strong argument but using the viewpoint of your lecturer or tutor.
Academic freedom is the freedom of students and academics to enquire openly and to express their arguments without being targeted by anyone to whom these views may be inconvenient (i.e. political groups or other authorities.) An article by the Council of Higher Education on academic freedom says that “Institutional autonomy could in the end empower the institutional bureaucrat to such an extent that the freedom of individual academics could be imperilled.”
Last week I wrote and essay about a play called Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, for English 1. As much as I would have loved to write 600 words on exactly what I felt the play was about I knew that my tutor would not agree with my views and I would get marked down. So I hauled out my lecture notes and regurgitated everything that my lecturer had said on the topic. Needless to say I got my first, but was not at all proud of the fact that it had entailed me using someone else’s opinion rather than my own.
When I confronted my English tutor about my feelings he brushed them off saying that as long as we think critically we will do well. Thinking critically is all fine and well, but it is our lecturer’s or tutor’s thinking that seems to count and as long as we write that down religiously we are seen as critical thinkers.
First year BJourn student Caeri Dunnell agrees: “I certainly think we are encouraged to believe in specific ways and I do think that if we went against these ideologies that we are being taught you wouldn’t get the marks for it. For example, our tutor never lets us disagree with her in tuts and therefore we don’t contradict her view in essays because we realize we will loose out.”
Drama is another subject that restricts our creative academic freedom. When people hear that I take drama as a subject they think it’s wonderful “because I am able to express myself.” But even drama at Rhodes brainwashes its students into performing in a certain way and using styles that are liked by “those who mark.” Rhodes Drama department has a very specific and distinct taste and as soon as one breaks that mould, or uses styles that are looked down upon by the department, you are immediately at a disadvantage. You would not have thought this to be the case with a subject like drama.
In the light of this is university really just one big scam to brainwash us? Bring your children to get an education, hoorah! Meanwhile we are being taught how to use someone else’s ideas as our own. We are being brainwashed into abiding by certain conventions and being educated to believe in ideologies unquestioningly.
The above might not hold true for the other faculties and other years at Rhodes, but it certainly seems to hold true for the first year Humanities students. Whether or not this will change in second year I don’t know. But I continue to ask myself should I be aiming for that first or should I be aiming for complete academic freedom even if that means I don’t achieve as well.
Academic freedom is the freedom of students and academics to enquire openly and to express their arguments without being targeted by anyone to whom these views may be inconvenient (i.e. political groups or other authorities.) An article by the Council of Higher Education on academic freedom says that “Institutional autonomy could in the end empower the institutional bureaucrat to such an extent that the freedom of individual academics could be imperilled.”
Last week I wrote and essay about a play called Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, for English 1. As much as I would have loved to write 600 words on exactly what I felt the play was about I knew that my tutor would not agree with my views and I would get marked down. So I hauled out my lecture notes and regurgitated everything that my lecturer had said on the topic. Needless to say I got my first, but was not at all proud of the fact that it had entailed me using someone else’s opinion rather than my own.
When I confronted my English tutor about my feelings he brushed them off saying that as long as we think critically we will do well. Thinking critically is all fine and well, but it is our lecturer’s or tutor’s thinking that seems to count and as long as we write that down religiously we are seen as critical thinkers.
First year BJourn student Caeri Dunnell agrees: “I certainly think we are encouraged to believe in specific ways and I do think that if we went against these ideologies that we are being taught you wouldn’t get the marks for it. For example, our tutor never lets us disagree with her in tuts and therefore we don’t contradict her view in essays because we realize we will loose out.”
Drama is another subject that restricts our creative academic freedom. When people hear that I take drama as a subject they think it’s wonderful “because I am able to express myself.” But even drama at Rhodes brainwashes its students into performing in a certain way and using styles that are liked by “those who mark.” Rhodes Drama department has a very specific and distinct taste and as soon as one breaks that mould, or uses styles that are looked down upon by the department, you are immediately at a disadvantage. You would not have thought this to be the case with a subject like drama.
In the light of this is university really just one big scam to brainwash us? Bring your children to get an education, hoorah! Meanwhile we are being taught how to use someone else’s ideas as our own. We are being brainwashed into abiding by certain conventions and being educated to believe in ideologies unquestioningly.
The above might not hold true for the other faculties and other years at Rhodes, but it certainly seems to hold true for the first year Humanities students. Whether or not this will change in second year I don’t know. But I continue to ask myself should I be aiming for that first or should I be aiming for complete academic freedom even if that means I don’t achieve as well.
“To care for anyone else enough to make their problems one's own, is ever the beginning of one's real ethical development.” Felix Adler
It’s the general consensus that Rhodes students don’t care about the poverty in Grahamstown and aren’t bothered about what happens in Joza. As long as their tragedies don’t infere with our fashion-obsessed, drinking and partying lifestyle they’re of no real consequence. I strongly disagree with this consensus. Just because we’re born out of privileged circumstances, this doesn’t mean that our humanity disappears just as fast as a bar tab at the rat.
I could be mistaken for the generalised version of the Rhodes student; I’m blonde, love clothes and I’m from a privileged background that has enabled me to come to university to study. But just because I embody the generalised characteristics doesn’t mean that I don’t care. Yes, I can’t give all of my spare change to every beggar that I see outside of Pick n’ Pay but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care or that I’m heartless.
For the last six months I’ve been volunteering at St Mary’s day care centre working with children from the township. But I’m not the only one. The Student Volunteer Programme has 300 programmes currently running in Grahamstown. Each of these programmes runs from Monday to Friday, with some even operating on Saturdays. This fact alone shows that there is a large support of students who work alongside with the Centre for Social Development (CSD) to benefit Grahamstown. Yes, not every single student volunteers but there is still a strong group who break the mould.
Varsity is a time for us to change how we perceive certain things. And developing a sense of social justice is part of what makes us human. My upbringing has given me an advantage over others. But it’s how I choose to practice this advantage that counts at the end of the day. What I look like or my upbringing doesn’t define who I am. Instead, it’s a challenge to venture out and make some type of difference. Yes, when I first came here I was into the partying and found the beggars on the street an annoyance. But the more I began to ignore the problem, the more it reared its head. The sense of guilt was overwhelming. But these feelings found direction through Rhodes’ a stellar volunteer programme catering to every type of volunteering. They provide an opportunity to use the skills that we develop in university outside of the lecture hall. It’s a chance to move outside the comfort of the Rhodes bubble and to engage with people from the ‘other’ side of Grahamstown.
The answer to the problems in Grahamstown isn’t in the occasional donation to a beggar outside of the shop. It’s in supporting NGO’s, CBO’s and schools who are slowly making a difference in the township. It’s like the Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In this same way, through teaching sustainable skills to the community change is possible. But this can only be done through student volunteering. So when students are ready to move beyond their constant complaining and are ready to do something constructive for the community, then we will be able to move beyond the generalisation that we don’t care about the outside community.
I could be mistaken for the generalised version of the Rhodes student; I’m blonde, love clothes and I’m from a privileged background that has enabled me to come to university to study. But just because I embody the generalised characteristics doesn’t mean that I don’t care. Yes, I can’t give all of my spare change to every beggar that I see outside of Pick n’ Pay but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care or that I’m heartless.
For the last six months I’ve been volunteering at St Mary’s day care centre working with children from the township. But I’m not the only one. The Student Volunteer Programme has 300 programmes currently running in Grahamstown. Each of these programmes runs from Monday to Friday, with some even operating on Saturdays. This fact alone shows that there is a large support of students who work alongside with the Centre for Social Development (CSD) to benefit Grahamstown. Yes, not every single student volunteers but there is still a strong group who break the mould.
Varsity is a time for us to change how we perceive certain things. And developing a sense of social justice is part of what makes us human. My upbringing has given me an advantage over others. But it’s how I choose to practice this advantage that counts at the end of the day. What I look like or my upbringing doesn’t define who I am. Instead, it’s a challenge to venture out and make some type of difference. Yes, when I first came here I was into the partying and found the beggars on the street an annoyance. But the more I began to ignore the problem, the more it reared its head. The sense of guilt was overwhelming. But these feelings found direction through Rhodes’ a stellar volunteer programme catering to every type of volunteering. They provide an opportunity to use the skills that we develop in university outside of the lecture hall. It’s a chance to move outside the comfort of the Rhodes bubble and to engage with people from the ‘other’ side of Grahamstown.
The answer to the problems in Grahamstown isn’t in the occasional donation to a beggar outside of the shop. It’s in supporting NGO’s, CBO’s and schools who are slowly making a difference in the township. It’s like the Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In this same way, through teaching sustainable skills to the community change is possible. But this can only be done through student volunteering. So when students are ready to move beyond their constant complaining and are ready to do something constructive for the community, then we will be able to move beyond the generalisation that we don’t care about the outside community.
The Lecture Theatre Relationship
“You with the black shirt, yes you. Would you like to sit in the sin bin?” is not an unusual statement to be heard in a Journalism and Media Studies (JMS1) lecture of late. I do not think that anyone doubts that there is currently a problem with the relationship between students and lecturers in the JMS1 class this semester. As a JMS1 student myself I feel that the situation deserves attention and discussion.
In an attempt to discover the reason for this breakdown in the student-lecturer relationship I first compared faculties. As someone who has attended some Bcom lectures like economics I can say that when comparing economic lectures to journalism lectures the behaviour of both lecturers and students are continents apart. There are no ten minute discussions about why you were talking during class; the lecturer does not give late comers the third degree nor do students try to sneak out during lectures even if they consider them hellishly boring. It would then seem that the problem lies within the humanities faculty as a whole but as I am currently studying a BA degree with all humanities subjects I can testify to the fact that JMS1 is my only subject in which the behaviour is way below par.
Looking then specifically at the JMS1 class I struggle to understand how we ended up in a situation where students are made to sit in the ‘sin bin’ or as some people have begun to refer to it as the ‘Sim bin’. Does the fault lie with the lecturers, the course, the students or the general attitudes of both? In our previous narrative and genre course the lecturer Priscilla Boshoff also experienced the problem of trying to keep the class under control which makes me think can the problem really lie with three different lecturers or does logic not then suggest that it lies with the students?
I find that students are not behaving in a manner that is appropriate for the situation. I was particularly embarrassed after Professor Pityana’s speech on academic freedom which was compulsory for all JMS1 students as the behaviour was totally unacceptable. What has happened to respect and common decency? Not only for the lecturers, the classroom setup, our fellow students but for people in general. A student even said to one of the lecturers during a class that if the people talking are preventing others from listening than “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if you can’t hear you should sit in the front”. Although I can see the point that the student was trying to make his argument had one fatal flaw which was that if you are not attending the lecture to listen then you should not be there at all. The room is structured so that the lecturer can have the floor, face his audience and address them. From a young age I was taught that it is rude to interrupt someone when they are talking why then do students think that is ok to discuss their social lives or even work while the lecturer is talking. Do not get me wrong I do not think that students should sit like robots during lectures just taking notes too scared to say a word, but there is a healthy balance between saying a few words to your friend and having a full on discussion during the class.
The general attitude of the JMS1 students seems to be that we are all so hard done by which is seriously lacking in truth. The student that emailed Sim Kyazze for an extension gives us all a bad name as from the email you could tell straight away that the student had not even read the assignment brief for the opinion piece never mind gone to lectures or they would not have made such careless mistakes as saying that the assignment had to be 1500 words.
As the dreaded exams creep closer it would be wise for us all to take a deep breathe and get back to basics to ensure a healthier, happier and more learning friendly atmosphere in the lecture theatre.
In an attempt to discover the reason for this breakdown in the student-lecturer relationship I first compared faculties. As someone who has attended some Bcom lectures like economics I can say that when comparing economic lectures to journalism lectures the behaviour of both lecturers and students are continents apart. There are no ten minute discussions about why you were talking during class; the lecturer does not give late comers the third degree nor do students try to sneak out during lectures even if they consider them hellishly boring. It would then seem that the problem lies within the humanities faculty as a whole but as I am currently studying a BA degree with all humanities subjects I can testify to the fact that JMS1 is my only subject in which the behaviour is way below par.
Looking then specifically at the JMS1 class I struggle to understand how we ended up in a situation where students are made to sit in the ‘sin bin’ or as some people have begun to refer to it as the ‘Sim bin’. Does the fault lie with the lecturers, the course, the students or the general attitudes of both? In our previous narrative and genre course the lecturer Priscilla Boshoff also experienced the problem of trying to keep the class under control which makes me think can the problem really lie with three different lecturers or does logic not then suggest that it lies with the students?
I find that students are not behaving in a manner that is appropriate for the situation. I was particularly embarrassed after Professor Pityana’s speech on academic freedom which was compulsory for all JMS1 students as the behaviour was totally unacceptable. What has happened to respect and common decency? Not only for the lecturers, the classroom setup, our fellow students but for people in general. A student even said to one of the lecturers during a class that if the people talking are preventing others from listening than “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if you can’t hear you should sit in the front”. Although I can see the point that the student was trying to make his argument had one fatal flaw which was that if you are not attending the lecture to listen then you should not be there at all. The room is structured so that the lecturer can have the floor, face his audience and address them. From a young age I was taught that it is rude to interrupt someone when they are talking why then do students think that is ok to discuss their social lives or even work while the lecturer is talking. Do not get me wrong I do not think that students should sit like robots during lectures just taking notes too scared to say a word, but there is a healthy balance between saying a few words to your friend and having a full on discussion during the class.
The general attitude of the JMS1 students seems to be that we are all so hard done by which is seriously lacking in truth. The student that emailed Sim Kyazze for an extension gives us all a bad name as from the email you could tell straight away that the student had not even read the assignment brief for the opinion piece never mind gone to lectures or they would not have made such careless mistakes as saying that the assignment had to be 1500 words.
As the dreaded exams creep closer it would be wise for us all to take a deep breathe and get back to basics to ensure a healthier, happier and more learning friendly atmosphere in the lecture theatre.
Alcohol consumption at Rhodes...
Grahamstown which is commonly referred to as a dreary town by students, is the home to a few thousands of Rhodes students who refer to the place as being isolated, boring with limited forms of entertainment and somewhat an untrue reflection of ‘the real world’ out there. Students’ complaints about the tiresome town have resorted to a majority of them turning to alcohol as a means of entertainment. However has anyone ever stopped to think that in terms of alcohol abuse, the university provides an exemplary image of the society we live in?
In modern day society, one finds that by the tender age of 13, children have already had their first encounter with alcohol; I am not excusing the high usage of alcohol amongst Rhodes students. I am merely emphasizing on the fact that reckless alcohol consumption is rapidly becoming problematic amongst the youngsters in our society. Alcohol is seen as a form of entertainment amongst us youngster, some go as far as to say ‘before you go out, you need something to loosen you up abit’ a comment made by Amanda, a student at the university. What has entertainment done to our society; that we depend on alcohol to have a good time? Some may say that’s not the only reason for drinking, as research conducted at the Pharmacy department at Rhodes, has proven that most students drink as a result of boredom and loneliness.
Numerous of students blame the University for its passive response towards alcohol abuse at Rhodes and I also use to be one of those students. I believed that the ‘Cheese and Wine’ gatherings were an indirect way of the institution promoting drinking amongst students, coming from high school where alcoholic beverages were not served at school functions, it was abit overwhelming and exciting that one could drink opening in public without death stares; so one gets carried away and enjoys the freedom.
Recently a good friend of mine, Karabo Tledima pointed out to me that the university hosts these ‘Cheese and Wine’ events to students because they believe that the students are responsible adults who know how to handle their drinking, she continued to state that, even in the work place and social gatherings alcohol is present and it is up to you as an individual to practice self control.
This strong opinion made me realize that the university in a sense is trying by all means to promote alcohol awareness, the institution went as far as declining hosting the annual sport contest, Tri-Varsity due to the manner in which Rhodes students conduct themselves when drunk. The Dean of students was quoted as saying to The Daily Dispatch that ‘the university has started a program which promotes alcohol awareness and during orientation week the students are given a talk about the dangers of alcohol by their leaders’
I beg to differ with regards to first years receiving a talk about during Orientation week about the haphazard of alcohol. If one calls a quick general knowledge chat about drinking and res rules with regards to alcohol a ‘talk’ then good luck to decreasing the figures. I believe that Orientation Week is the best time to tackle drinking amongst first years, with the aid of the drama department a performance could be conducted about the dangers of alcohol because a number of students out there view drinking as a joke; ignorant towards the damages alcohol causes to the body.
The town maybe small and desolate but they are various things one could do besides drowning their sorrows in booze, having a good time at a club should not be dependent on how intoxicated one is, personally I have been out with friends, sober and have had a great time. I fail see the fun in making a fool of yourself in public, doing inappropriate things with various people and not remembering the following day.
If you going to drink do it responsibly and be mature enough to take credit for your own actions. The university and location should not be used as an excuse for your yearning to drink, you’re an adult now and your life is depicted by the choices YOU make.
In modern day society, one finds that by the tender age of 13, children have already had their first encounter with alcohol; I am not excusing the high usage of alcohol amongst Rhodes students. I am merely emphasizing on the fact that reckless alcohol consumption is rapidly becoming problematic amongst the youngsters in our society. Alcohol is seen as a form of entertainment amongst us youngster, some go as far as to say ‘before you go out, you need something to loosen you up abit’ a comment made by Amanda, a student at the university. What has entertainment done to our society; that we depend on alcohol to have a good time? Some may say that’s not the only reason for drinking, as research conducted at the Pharmacy department at Rhodes, has proven that most students drink as a result of boredom and loneliness.
Numerous of students blame the University for its passive response towards alcohol abuse at Rhodes and I also use to be one of those students. I believed that the ‘Cheese and Wine’ gatherings were an indirect way of the institution promoting drinking amongst students, coming from high school where alcoholic beverages were not served at school functions, it was abit overwhelming and exciting that one could drink opening in public without death stares; so one gets carried away and enjoys the freedom.
Recently a good friend of mine, Karabo Tledima pointed out to me that the university hosts these ‘Cheese and Wine’ events to students because they believe that the students are responsible adults who know how to handle their drinking, she continued to state that, even in the work place and social gatherings alcohol is present and it is up to you as an individual to practice self control.
This strong opinion made me realize that the university in a sense is trying by all means to promote alcohol awareness, the institution went as far as declining hosting the annual sport contest, Tri-Varsity due to the manner in which Rhodes students conduct themselves when drunk. The Dean of students was quoted as saying to The Daily Dispatch that ‘the university has started a program which promotes alcohol awareness and during orientation week the students are given a talk about the dangers of alcohol by their leaders’
I beg to differ with regards to first years receiving a talk about during Orientation week about the haphazard of alcohol. If one calls a quick general knowledge chat about drinking and res rules with regards to alcohol a ‘talk’ then good luck to decreasing the figures. I believe that Orientation Week is the best time to tackle drinking amongst first years, with the aid of the drama department a performance could be conducted about the dangers of alcohol because a number of students out there view drinking as a joke; ignorant towards the damages alcohol causes to the body.
The town maybe small and desolate but they are various things one could do besides drowning their sorrows in booze, having a good time at a club should not be dependent on how intoxicated one is, personally I have been out with friends, sober and have had a great time. I fail see the fun in making a fool of yourself in public, doing inappropriate things with various people and not remembering the following day.
If you going to drink do it responsibly and be mature enough to take credit for your own actions. The university and location should not be used as an excuse for your yearning to drink, you’re an adult now and your life is depicted by the choices YOU make.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Entrepreneurial Emah
As part of blog action day, which is today, we’ve been asked to blog about poverty. I know that this blog post deviates from the topic of University life and being a first year, but I’m still going to write it as it involves a very special person whom I admire enormously! When we were told to blog about poverty this person immediately sprang to my mind. She is one of the poorest yet most amazing people that I know. Her name is Emah.
During my high school years I lived in a small Free State town called Harrismith. We “inherited” Emah, the char/ house keeper/ maid (I’m not sure what the politically correct word is) from the people who sold the house to us and she became a part of our lives in Harrismith. It didn’t take long for this voluptuous Zulu lady with her big laugh and smile to creep into our hearts and find a firm place in our family. Emah who was in her late forties at the time never had a bad word to say about anybody and does not have a resentful bone in her body. She constantly showered my family and pets with affection- she laughed with us and she cried with us as well. She probably has one the biggest hearts of anyone that I know.
Even though Emah is all smiles she leads a hard life. She lives in a township outside Harrismith called Tshiame and is one of the poorest of the poor in that area. She shares her shack and small property with her husband (who was ill for along time), her married son and his wife and a few chickens. Emah only had the opportunity to go to school until grade 2, when she had to leave but despite this she is very intelligent and with a completed education I have no doubt she would have gone very far in life. She is fluent in Afrikaans, Zulu and Sotho and can read and write a little bit.
Although we would have liked to have paid Emah a huge salary, this was not possible, but she always got extra food and old clothes from us. My mom helped her earn extra money by pricing old clothes of ours and other items and Emah would sell them at the taxi rank, getting a large percentage of the earnings for herself.
In 2006 my family had to move to the city and so they left Harrismith and Emah behind. When we left Harrismith she flattered us by saying that she did not want to find another job as a char as her next employers would not be the same as being with us. We suspect that at some point in the past she must have had a bad experience with her employers. Sure enough Emah didn’t look for another job. Instead she started small entrepreneurial ventures of her own in Tshiame. She grows vegetables in her garden and uses these to feed her family. The extra veggies get cooked and sold for a couple of Rand near the local school. She also cooks pap and other food and sells it cheaply. Not only this, but she uses her generator to sell electricity. Sometimes she cuts the grass at the side of the road and uses it to make beautiful hand brooms. Although all of this only earns her a minimal income, Emah has managed to keep her family alive and has also saved enough money to buy bricks so that she can turn her draughty shack into a more solid brick house. Last time I saw her she was saving money for cement and then the next step would be the actual building of her house.
Emah’s initiative, entrepreneurship, determination, refusal to give up or to rely solely on handouts and her big heart and warm personality is why I have the hugest amount of respect and admiration for her. She is truly someone that I look up to and I think that with the right prompting and encouragement a person like this can empower herself and her community. Is this not a better solution to poverty than constantly giving handouts and by doing this encouraging people to beg and to expect handouts? Shouldn’t we rather help people to help themselves and their communities? In this way one small ripple will spread quickly and not only help to relieve poverty, but also change people’s attitudes about poverty.
I miss you Emah and I take my hat off to you. You are one very special woman and we need more of you in this country...
During my high school years I lived in a small Free State town called Harrismith. We “inherited” Emah, the char/ house keeper/ maid (I’m not sure what the politically correct word is) from the people who sold the house to us and she became a part of our lives in Harrismith. It didn’t take long for this voluptuous Zulu lady with her big laugh and smile to creep into our hearts and find a firm place in our family. Emah who was in her late forties at the time never had a bad word to say about anybody and does not have a resentful bone in her body. She constantly showered my family and pets with affection- she laughed with us and she cried with us as well. She probably has one the biggest hearts of anyone that I know.
Even though Emah is all smiles she leads a hard life. She lives in a township outside Harrismith called Tshiame and is one of the poorest of the poor in that area. She shares her shack and small property with her husband (who was ill for along time), her married son and his wife and a few chickens. Emah only had the opportunity to go to school until grade 2, when she had to leave but despite this she is very intelligent and with a completed education I have no doubt she would have gone very far in life. She is fluent in Afrikaans, Zulu and Sotho and can read and write a little bit.
Although we would have liked to have paid Emah a huge salary, this was not possible, but she always got extra food and old clothes from us. My mom helped her earn extra money by pricing old clothes of ours and other items and Emah would sell them at the taxi rank, getting a large percentage of the earnings for herself.
In 2006 my family had to move to the city and so they left Harrismith and Emah behind. When we left Harrismith she flattered us by saying that she did not want to find another job as a char as her next employers would not be the same as being with us. We suspect that at some point in the past she must have had a bad experience with her employers. Sure enough Emah didn’t look for another job. Instead she started small entrepreneurial ventures of her own in Tshiame. She grows vegetables in her garden and uses these to feed her family. The extra veggies get cooked and sold for a couple of Rand near the local school. She also cooks pap and other food and sells it cheaply. Not only this, but she uses her generator to sell electricity. Sometimes she cuts the grass at the side of the road and uses it to make beautiful hand brooms. Although all of this only earns her a minimal income, Emah has managed to keep her family alive and has also saved enough money to buy bricks so that she can turn her draughty shack into a more solid brick house. Last time I saw her she was saving money for cement and then the next step would be the actual building of her house.
Emah’s initiative, entrepreneurship, determination, refusal to give up or to rely solely on handouts and her big heart and warm personality is why I have the hugest amount of respect and admiration for her. She is truly someone that I look up to and I think that with the right prompting and encouragement a person like this can empower herself and her community. Is this not a better solution to poverty than constantly giving handouts and by doing this encouraging people to beg and to expect handouts? Shouldn’t we rather help people to help themselves and their communities? In this way one small ripple will spread quickly and not only help to relieve poverty, but also change people’s attitudes about poverty.
I miss you Emah and I take my hat off to you. You are one very special woman and we need more of you in this country...
The Grahamstown divide
Since my first few weeks in Grahamstown I was struck by the enormous and blatantly obvious divide between rich and poor in our town. It feels to me like Somerset Street is some kind of a railway track. On the hill-side of the railway track is the University with its affluent students and as soon as you cross this railway track you are bombarded by street children and beggars. Only yesterday I was “harassed” for the goodness-knows how many-eth time by a beggar in town. His calls of “mamma, mamma, please, some bread, please mamma, some bread” not only had me feeling uncomfortable, but also extremely guilty. Most of us don’t think twice how lucky we are when we sit down for meals, or climb into a warm bed at night. I’m again filled with guilt as I realize how often I say “I’m starving!” in a week, when in fact I can’t even begin to describe what starvation feels like. I don’t sleep in a box in a cold doorway at night, I don’t have to scratch food out of bins and if I really want to I can ignore that these things happen at all. I don’t know what I can do to ever change this situation. I know that whatever I am doing now and still plan to do to try and help will only be a tiny drop in a massive ocean. I know I can make a start by appreciating all the privileges in my own life and continuing to do what I can, even if it is only on a small scale. Every bit helps and as students we should aim to make the gap between our University and our town smaller so that we can be a true Grahamstown community and not one divided by wealth and a lack of wealth.
http://blogactionday.org/js/d295c7f61bb164d295cf696edfdcfbf373f641f2
http://blogactionday.org/js/d295c7f61bb164d295cf696edfdcfbf373f641f2
RUTV Documentary Film Festival
Last night I attended the fourth year TV Journ student’s final documentaries and WOW!!! I can’t believe that in three years time I’m going to be producing work that it that amazing, be it in TV or any one of the other forms of media! I am totally in awe at the high standard of their documentaries and the emotions that they elicited in me. There were times when my legs and arms were covered in goose bumps and I could feel the hair standing up on my neck. I also frequently found myself with a lump in my throat and by the second last piece I couldn’t control my emotions any more and was in tears! A five minute long documentary about Rhino poaching in Zimbabwe was what did it. The footage of a one month old Rhino named Nyasha covered in gashes, lying next to a fire with her new care taker, having just lost her mother to the brutality of poachers was too much for me to handle. The text on the big screen then informed us that the baby Rhino died the next morning. These documentaries not only reminded me of the suffering caused by the cruelty of humans, but it also brought human suffering very close to home. I was surprised at the amount of insight the journ students were able to get into the lives of various Grahamstown people. It hits hard when you realize that down the road from where you live are prostitutes who can’t bear to face life anymore, married couples coping with HIV, atrocious backstreet abortion scams and people breaking the conventional and traditionally accepted boundaries of who lives in which area. I found most of the documentaries extremely evocative and I only hope that one day I am not only able to produce such amazing material, but to be able to use that material to make a difference in the lives of others. I hope that as a journalist, I can turn journalistic conventions on its head by not only being a witness and reporter, but to use my talents and skills in a compassionate manner to better our world.
Remember the poor - it costs nothing
They say that the gap between rich and poor in South Africa is largest in the world. And as a resident of Grahamstown where you can't escape the poverty, I have to agree. Our Gini coefficient is 57.8 which is one of the highest levels of inequality. And again in Grahamstown, the two worlds couldn't be further apart. As I walk down from the clock tower, I look directly into the township. There's no escaping it. At least in Johannesburg I can conveniently roll up my window and not have to deal with the impoverished. But I have to ask the question, is the right response? Yes, here in Grahamstown I can't give money to every beggar on the street but still, aren't we moving beyond our humanity when we refuse to acknowledge the needy?
I know that I as a privileged, private school girl from the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, I have no right to lecture people on inequality. But I can share my experience of volunteering at St Mary's after school centre which has become one of the most rewarding experiences. In my first semester, I found myself becoming incredibly self centred and disillusioned with Grahamstown. I really existed in the Rhodes bubble where the beggars on the street where a major annoyance in my tranquil world. But the more I lost my perspective on being part of the entire Grahamstown community, the more I felt uncomfortable and guilty. I knew that I wasn't just living in Rhodes but rather in Grahamstown and Grahamstown's problems were my problems.
So I started to volunteer at St Mary's working with children who come from the township. Every Friday afternoon for an hour I work with six girls who always give me a reason to smile. With them I can see the effects of poverty like the inferior education that they receive which stunts their academic development. But these kids aren't stupid. Far from it. They just haven't been exposed to exercises that stimulate them. So we try to expose them to things that they lack. Like last week Friday, we sat and made beaded necklaces and bracelets. Supporting St Mary's has made me realise that even though the poverty situation seems dire, we as students can rally around organisations that really are making a difference. After all if we aren't here to help our fellow man, then why the hell are we here??
http://blogactionday.org/js/d295c7f61bb164d295cf696edfdcfbf373f641f2
I know that I as a privileged, private school girl from the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, I have no right to lecture people on inequality. But I can share my experience of volunteering at St Mary's after school centre which has become one of the most rewarding experiences. In my first semester, I found myself becoming incredibly self centred and disillusioned with Grahamstown. I really existed in the Rhodes bubble where the beggars on the street where a major annoyance in my tranquil world. But the more I lost my perspective on being part of the entire Grahamstown community, the more I felt uncomfortable and guilty. I knew that I wasn't just living in Rhodes but rather in Grahamstown and Grahamstown's problems were my problems.
So I started to volunteer at St Mary's working with children who come from the township. Every Friday afternoon for an hour I work with six girls who always give me a reason to smile. With them I can see the effects of poverty like the inferior education that they receive which stunts their academic development. But these kids aren't stupid. Far from it. They just haven't been exposed to exercises that stimulate them. So we try to expose them to things that they lack. Like last week Friday, we sat and made beaded necklaces and bracelets. Supporting St Mary's has made me realise that even though the poverty situation seems dire, we as students can rally around organisations that really are making a difference. After all if we aren't here to help our fellow man, then why the hell are we here??
http://blogactionday.org/js/d295c7f61bb164d295cf696edfdcfbf373f641f2
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Existential crisis no longer
So I've just gotten back from the Fourth Year TV students' year works and I'm so inspired. As a budding TV journalist myself, I was floored at the level of professionalism, insight, depth and empathy that their documentary's showed. So often Journalism is charcterised by short tempered journalists and even shorter deadlines. But these documentaries really show what journalism is about; people's stories. I've found that, especially in writing for a news section of a paper, I tend to get so disconnected from the actual stories in focusing on the facts and not the impact on people. In pairing music, film and photos, stories that newspapers cover so often move past cliches into living, breathing media that connect with the viewer. Tonight also confirmed my second major, Sociology. In whatever arena of Journalism I go into I know that I want to tell people's stories. So Sociology makes sense. I guess I'm just going to have to suffer through terrible lecturers to achieve the final goal. Honestly, this year has been one big existential crisis with my constant questioning of whether my degree is right for me etc. The Journalism Department go out of their way to make it tough; what with their constant reminder that only 120 get into Second year. But like a very wise friend explained to me through the metaphor of shoes; "You bought them because you liked them. You just have to wear them in." Thanks Cands for both reminding me of my shoe fetish and why I'm at Rhodes.
Concluding this rant, I'm more motivated than ever to stick through my degree and wear it in. This time in 3 years, my documentary will be showing at the Roxbury.
xxx
Concluding this rant, I'm more motivated than ever to stick through my degree and wear it in. This time in 3 years, my documentary will be showing at the Roxbury.
xxx
Pub(ic) Wars: Episode 2...
Ditto, ditto, ditto to everything that Tarryn and Sarah have said below about our comic; there’s no point in me repeating any of it as I agree with all of it! :-) I can say why my experience of making the comic was slightly more warped though... as it involved the unwanted attentions of a drunken pervert old enough to be my grandfather (Gag!!!!) Yes, that’s right, while decorating Mr Spikey and taking the photos, me (and to a lesser extent the other girls too) had the unpleasant experience of having to deal with the inappropriate attentions of an old man. The weather was sweltering hot and even though most of us were dressed in shorts and strappy tops as a result, we should not have to endure sexual comments and advances by anyone, let alone from an old “ballie” who is probably at least three times our age. And no, I don’t enjoy having you grab my hand and recite the words of some lame song about us being in a green boat and being alone with you on the shore, while backed into a corner with the only escape being a jump into a prickly pot plant, with your disgusting beer breath in my face. As complimentary/ flattering/ seductive as you may think you are being, we also don’t like being whistled at and belittled into mere sex objects. If I wasn’t so nice you would have gone the same way as that spiked drink- except I would have knocked you out a lot harder. Don’t mess with these girls- they deserve respect from you and everyone else!
Our comic: My version of a Time Capsule
I think Tarryn really summed up the creative process involved in creating our comic. But I'll just add that a far as group work goes, I've been blessed with an amazing group where everyone pulls their weight. One of the reasons I think we all work so well together is that we're friends as well as being tutlings together. Group work is normally, like Tarryn said, a hellish experience. But it's really been a fun journey with lots of laughs and minimal drama. And in all honesty, this term of Journalism has been the best so far in doing fun and interesting assignments like our comic. When I look back at my first year of Journalism, I'll smile because of the experiences this term. Our comic will always, for me, be a reminder of good times and wonderful friends.
All my love,
xxx
All my love,
xxx
Monday, October 13, 2008
All in a day's work
During this last week Tales from a Rhodent has taken up the challenge of becoming SUPERHEROES in the comic book world. You are probably looking very confused right now and wondering what on earth I am talking about, so let me start at the beginning. Our latest assignment in our Narrative and Genre course of Journalism is to create a photo comic using a website called Comeeko. We would be responsible for the entire creative process from coming up with an idea, storyboarding, photos and dialogue. I must admit that at first it all seemed extremely daunting. Especially as it had to be done as group work, which is probably the most loathed way of working on any assignment. The hellish task of finding a time to meet is the main problem and from what I hear most groups have had many more like people not showing up or pulling their weight. But I am glad to report that our group, Tales from a Rhodent were awesome to work with. They made the assignment so much fun and, as you can see from our comic below, very fruitful. Our tale is one of how when your drink is spiked and transforms in an evil creature out to get you, you need to step up to the plate and become a superhero in order to defeat it. We wanted to send out a message that the spiking of drinks does happen and that you need to be alert and your own superhero. It worked out really well with Nonhle as our super cool hero and Sarah as the ditsy but awesome sidekick. The photo comic was shot at The Old Gaol and didn’t feel like work at all but rather a hilarious photo shoot with the girls. The facial expressions of our drama princess Nonhle had us all rolling around with laughter and brought the comic to life. All in all a great time was had making the photo comic except for the last step of loading it all on to Comeeko which managed to make our dialogue disappear three times! To say that it was frustrating is putting it mildly but we conquered the Comeeko beast and ended up with a really kick ass comic!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Small Town Socialite
It is easy to overlook this tiny little Italian girl, but it is impossible to miss her laugh. Lara Contu’s habit of frequently throwing her head back and letting out a loud, infectious laugh and her bubbly personality makes her irresistibly approachable and very popular.
Lara leans back on the bed, immediately at home, and twirls a thick strand of shiny brown hair around her finger as she talks. Her voice is animated and she chuckles every so often as she talks about her experiences at Rhodes.
The smallness of Grahamstown and Rhodes University is what led her here to study a BSc degree. Lara laughs as she explains that she is studying a BSc because she enjoys biology and says, “My brain is more direct, I’m not very creative. Not creative enough for a BA.”
But if she wasn’t studying a BSc, Lara would definitely be studying a BSocSci degree because she is fascinated by people.
For this Johannesburg socialite, the intimacy of Grahamstown is what appeals to her and her eyes widen as she says in a big voice: “I love it here, are you mad, it’s so cool! Even though there are only three places to go!” It is no surprise then that with this enthusiasm, Lara has made a large number of friends in the short time that she has been here. She says that although she knows just as many people in Jo’burg as she does in Grahamstown, she is more likely to have a conversation with people she meets while out in Grahamstown than in Jo’burg. This has meant that Lara has had memorable and happy first year experience.
Lara says that as a Rhodes student she feels that she is part of something, and it is this something that makes her friends back at home jealous. They do not understand the bond between fellow Rhodents.
Although Lara hasn’t suffered too much from homesickness, she does miss her family a lot and wishes that home could be closer to Rhodes.
Living in res means that Lara is never lonely, and she thinks it is “cool” to live with her friends in Hobson House residence.
One of Lara’s Hobson friends, Caeri Dunnell, adores Lara and says fondly: “Lara often comes into my room and plonks herself on my bed and talks to me for ages, until I have to kick her out!” This companionship isn’t the only reason why Caeri values Lara’s friendship so much as she says that if it wasn’t for Lara she would never do her laundry! “She always makes sure we do our laundry and we have fun doing it together!”Caeri also mentions Lara’s honest nature and how she can be direct with people in a nice way and her ability to mingle with as many people as possible where ever she goes.
Lara leans further back into the pillow as she talks about the night she fell asleep in front of a group of friends and started snoring! This story leads her to let out another loud laugh and she covers her mouth in embarrassment as she explains that awkward situations like this is one of the things that makes her laugh. “Geesh,” she says, “actually just about anything makes me laugh!”
Lara leans back on the bed, immediately at home, and twirls a thick strand of shiny brown hair around her finger as she talks. Her voice is animated and she chuckles every so often as she talks about her experiences at Rhodes.
The smallness of Grahamstown and Rhodes University is what led her here to study a BSc degree. Lara laughs as she explains that she is studying a BSc because she enjoys biology and says, “My brain is more direct, I’m not very creative. Not creative enough for a BA.”
But if she wasn’t studying a BSc, Lara would definitely be studying a BSocSci degree because she is fascinated by people.
For this Johannesburg socialite, the intimacy of Grahamstown is what appeals to her and her eyes widen as she says in a big voice: “I love it here, are you mad, it’s so cool! Even though there are only three places to go!” It is no surprise then that with this enthusiasm, Lara has made a large number of friends in the short time that she has been here. She says that although she knows just as many people in Jo’burg as she does in Grahamstown, she is more likely to have a conversation with people she meets while out in Grahamstown than in Jo’burg. This has meant that Lara has had memorable and happy first year experience.
Lara says that as a Rhodes student she feels that she is part of something, and it is this something that makes her friends back at home jealous. They do not understand the bond between fellow Rhodents.
Although Lara hasn’t suffered too much from homesickness, she does miss her family a lot and wishes that home could be closer to Rhodes.
Living in res means that Lara is never lonely, and she thinks it is “cool” to live with her friends in Hobson House residence.
One of Lara’s Hobson friends, Caeri Dunnell, adores Lara and says fondly: “Lara often comes into my room and plonks herself on my bed and talks to me for ages, until I have to kick her out!” This companionship isn’t the only reason why Caeri values Lara’s friendship so much as she says that if it wasn’t for Lara she would never do her laundry! “She always makes sure we do our laundry and we have fun doing it together!”Caeri also mentions Lara’s honest nature and how she can be direct with people in a nice way and her ability to mingle with as many people as possible where ever she goes.
Lara leans further back into the pillow as she talks about the night she fell asleep in front of a group of friends and started snoring! This story leads her to let out another loud laugh and she covers her mouth in embarrassment as she explains that awkward situations like this is one of the things that makes her laugh. “Geesh,” she says, “actually just about anything makes me laugh!”
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
At the age of 19, Amy Moss, a Hobson House resident, has managed to find a balance between work and play in a varsity famous for its partying. After matriculating in 2007, Amy has been on a whirlwind adventure through her first year at Rhodes University and shows no sign of stopping the late nights despite the upcoming end of year exams.
Living at Mosslands Farm, which is situated 20km outside of Grahamstown, Amy feels quite at home at Rhodes. As an ex-Kingswood College student, she has become accustomed to the student behaviour around the town and now that she is a first year, she is enjoying every minute of life without the uniform.
On Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays you will definitely find Amy at her local haunts which include the Rat and Parrot, Friar Tuck’s and the Rhodes Union as these are places where “you can dance, buy cheap drinks and have a fantastic night out with friends”, she says. Since “O-Week”, her first and fondest memory from Rhodes, Amy has always been a social butterfly with endless amounts of energy and a carefree attitude but as a BJourn (Bachelor of Journalism) student, Amy knows that life at varsity is not all about the parties; it is also about the degree. She remembers her parent’s advice about working hard at university and finding a balance between varsity’s social and academic aspects, and admits that she could be working harder. “I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to academic work so I could be doing a lot better in my studies but I’m coping”, she says as she gently flicks a strand of blonde hair away from her face.
Amy rarely stresses or gets nervous about anything and seems to have adopted the “If you worry die, if you don’t worry you die, so why worry?” attitude when it comes to varsity. On the rare occasion that the workload becomes a bit overwhelming or she has a low moment, Amy is able to calm things down and pick herself up by watching various movies, reading a good book by Marian Keyes or going out with friends. “When things get a bit hectic I also have the habit of biting my nails, I just can’t help it but I’m trying to stop”, she says whilst blushing.
Amy takes her degree very seriously especially since only 120 out of 280 first years will make it into second year journalism but always make time for social functions and nights out with friends. Despite her love of partying till dawn, Amy is able to keep on top of her assignments and tests, participate in various res events and pass her exams whilst maintaining her extremely high energy levels making her the envy of many students.
Amy has managed to crack the varsity system and find a successful lifestyle that has enabled her to keep afloat of her work whilst enjoying everything that varsity has to offer. Her love for life and having fun has enabled her to remain happy in an extremely stressful environment. Her ability to balance the social aspects with the academic aspects of varsity has provided Amy with the opportunity to meet new people and have a fantastic first year whilst exploring everything that Grahamstown and Rhodes has to offer. Amy Moss is a survivor of the pressures of first year and is looking forward to partying many more nights away in Grahamstown whilst taking all the obstacles that come her way in her stride.
" Confessions of a Drama Queen"
In African culture, when a child is born they are given a name which somewhat echoes their destiny anticipated by their elders. The name Tiisetso, stems from the Sotho word which means ‘perseverance’ and is often used to describe ones character. The personality of the young woman I interviewed encapsulates not only her gracious smile and animated persona, but also her resilience.
Tiisetso Bridgett Phatudi, a vibrant student who lives in the complexes of New House, commonly known as “Bridgett” amongst her friends, springs from the uptown city of Johannesburg. She lives with her mother and niece in a three bedroom house in southern Johannesburg. As a child Tiisetso enjoyed playing with other children, dancing and acting which compliments her captivating persona and sunny smile which warms up your heart.
Life for Tiisetso has never been easy, growing up in a chaotic household where moving become a commonly known routine, a girl has no time to feel sorry for herself. It is like a hip hop battle (hip hop being her passion) where being on the losing team does not only mean you have let your team down, but you have exposed your weakness to your opponent. It is this belief that has led her to develop defense mechanisms which help her cope with the ever changing dynamics of life.
Life has thrown many challenges in this young lady’s life, which is why Tiisetso chooses to live her life differently from the women in her family. “My parents did not get married’ a quick glance outside the window turns into an endless stare and our eyes hardly meet anymore. These are the consequences of being raised in a broken home; Tiisetso had her mother, two sisters and her niece living with her. “My mother and older sisters have always been much closer because of the 15 year gap between us as children.’ Being an isolated child, Tiisetso found comfort in the company of her best friend, Lesego.
However the loss of Lesego posed another challenge for her to over come, losing her best friend at a tend age of 16, pushed her further towards independence. Friendships there after have been stale, ‘finding someone you trust has been the hardest thing ever,’ adds Tiisesto as her rosy cheeks turn into a flaming red color.
The idea of finding love was what kept Tiiseso going for most of her life however things changed in first year, the fairytale slowly started to come to an end and the idea of love became a dreaded nightmare. Rhodes challenged her as a person as she had to make choices which were largely influenced by people whom she thought of as good friends. This has led to her loosing herself in the process but through the belief and encouragement that Lesego’s spirit is with her, she preserves in everything she does.
Her experiences at Rhodes have changed her, the diversity in thought that she has been exposed to during her first year have provided her with different perspectives on life. Her beliefs on love, friendship and self image have been questioned. Opening up has become an issue for Tiisesto, and one sees this through out the interview as she stares blankly ahead with her eyes watery.
Tiisetso Bridgett Phatudi, a vibrant student who lives in the complexes of New House, commonly known as “Bridgett” amongst her friends, springs from the uptown city of Johannesburg. She lives with her mother and niece in a three bedroom house in southern Johannesburg. As a child Tiisetso enjoyed playing with other children, dancing and acting which compliments her captivating persona and sunny smile which warms up your heart.
Life for Tiisetso has never been easy, growing up in a chaotic household where moving become a commonly known routine, a girl has no time to feel sorry for herself. It is like a hip hop battle (hip hop being her passion) where being on the losing team does not only mean you have let your team down, but you have exposed your weakness to your opponent. It is this belief that has led her to develop defense mechanisms which help her cope with the ever changing dynamics of life.
Life has thrown many challenges in this young lady’s life, which is why Tiisetso chooses to live her life differently from the women in her family. “My parents did not get married’ a quick glance outside the window turns into an endless stare and our eyes hardly meet anymore. These are the consequences of being raised in a broken home; Tiisetso had her mother, two sisters and her niece living with her. “My mother and older sisters have always been much closer because of the 15 year gap between us as children.’ Being an isolated child, Tiisetso found comfort in the company of her best friend, Lesego.
However the loss of Lesego posed another challenge for her to over come, losing her best friend at a tend age of 16, pushed her further towards independence. Friendships there after have been stale, ‘finding someone you trust has been the hardest thing ever,’ adds Tiisesto as her rosy cheeks turn into a flaming red color.
The idea of finding love was what kept Tiiseso going for most of her life however things changed in first year, the fairytale slowly started to come to an end and the idea of love became a dreaded nightmare. Rhodes challenged her as a person as she had to make choices which were largely influenced by people whom she thought of as good friends. This has led to her loosing herself in the process but through the belief and encouragement that Lesego’s spirit is with her, she preserves in everything she does.
Her experiences at Rhodes have changed her, the diversity in thought that she has been exposed to during her first year have provided her with different perspectives on life. Her beliefs on love, friendship and self image have been questioned. Opening up has become an issue for Tiisesto, and one sees this through out the interview as she stares blankly ahead with her eyes watery.
Surviving
Raisa Meiswinkel is anything but your typical Rhodes student although you might be fooled by her Cartman t-shirt and friendly attitude. At the age of twenty she is a perceptive young mind that says of herself “I see life in binaries, everything is black or white while I am one huge grey area”. She is a character that has been through many changes and taken many paths all of which have shaped her into who she is today… a survivor.
Lying on her red and orange bed while I sit in a chair opposite things begin with an air of meeting with your physiatrist. The only difference would be that Raisa does not have to be forced to talk as she answers questions enthusiastically and openly. We pick up her story at the tender age of sixteen when she left Port Elizabeth to live in Pretoria on her own so that she could attend the Pro-Arte Alphen School of Arts. “It was the best and worst experience for me the art was great but I was still young, vulnerable and easily manipulated” It was not long before she had a lip ring, dyed her hair black and started experimenting with drugs. She thought she could handle being on her own in Pretoria but looking back she realises that that was not the case but at least she has learnt enough from her experiences to realise that now. With the help of her mother she moved back to Port Elizabeth and started at another school.
It was after finishing her matric at The Hill College and with her extreme rebellious stage behind her that she started at Rhodes University. To say that the decision to attend Rhodes was easy and that it has been easy being here would be an understatement. Torn between two professions Raisa had to make a choice Rhodes or AAA. “I wanted to go to AAA; I had already filled in all the forms and started working on my portfolio”. It was the best place for her to go to fulfil her art and design dreams but she decided that she would give Rhodes a chance as it was closer to home and her aptitude tests had suggested that it would be better for her stress levels (which according to her can get quite high). She explains “I am hoping that by taking the academic route I will still end up at my design destination”.
Looking directly at me she admits that “arriving at Rhodes was a real low for me I don’t think I had mentally prepared myself for what was to come”. Although things were rather rocky in the beginning and it has been difficult to adjust it has not been all bad. “I am amazed at how I am absorbing information” she responds with a smile that crackles with electricity. The academic stimulate is what keeps her going as one of her happiest moments at Rhodes has been when she received her exam results. This reminds her of the time at The Hill College when she received 100% for a business project. Sitting up quickly to tell the story she says “The principal told me that I was one of the five people that he had ever given 100% in his teaching career. That made me feel like it was all worth it”.
Whether Raisa will be continue with her Journalism degree here at Rhodes is a question that she asks herself daily. Taking a deep breath she says “I need to do a lot of soul searching over the holidays and decide what I really want to do. Life is too short to stick to something that doesn’t make you happy.” But on the other hand she accepts that if the next few years will get her where she wants to be then they are a necessary evil. The only thing she does not want is to be here for the wrong reasons. She explains this further as “most people are out to prove themselves to others whereas the only people they have to prove anything to is themselves”. This is the lesson that she has leant the hard way but through perseverance and a support network she has survived. And found a way to live her life for herself.
Lying on her red and orange bed while I sit in a chair opposite things begin with an air of meeting with your physiatrist. The only difference would be that Raisa does not have to be forced to talk as she answers questions enthusiastically and openly. We pick up her story at the tender age of sixteen when she left Port Elizabeth to live in Pretoria on her own so that she could attend the Pro-Arte Alphen School of Arts. “It was the best and worst experience for me the art was great but I was still young, vulnerable and easily manipulated” It was not long before she had a lip ring, dyed her hair black and started experimenting with drugs. She thought she could handle being on her own in Pretoria but looking back she realises that that was not the case but at least she has learnt enough from her experiences to realise that now. With the help of her mother she moved back to Port Elizabeth and started at another school.
It was after finishing her matric at The Hill College and with her extreme rebellious stage behind her that she started at Rhodes University. To say that the decision to attend Rhodes was easy and that it has been easy being here would be an understatement. Torn between two professions Raisa had to make a choice Rhodes or AAA. “I wanted to go to AAA; I had already filled in all the forms and started working on my portfolio”. It was the best place for her to go to fulfil her art and design dreams but she decided that she would give Rhodes a chance as it was closer to home and her aptitude tests had suggested that it would be better for her stress levels (which according to her can get quite high). She explains “I am hoping that by taking the academic route I will still end up at my design destination”.
Looking directly at me she admits that “arriving at Rhodes was a real low for me I don’t think I had mentally prepared myself for what was to come”. Although things were rather rocky in the beginning and it has been difficult to adjust it has not been all bad. “I am amazed at how I am absorbing information” she responds with a smile that crackles with electricity. The academic stimulate is what keeps her going as one of her happiest moments at Rhodes has been when she received her exam results. This reminds her of the time at The Hill College when she received 100% for a business project. Sitting up quickly to tell the story she says “The principal told me that I was one of the five people that he had ever given 100% in his teaching career. That made me feel like it was all worth it”.
Whether Raisa will be continue with her Journalism degree here at Rhodes is a question that she asks herself daily. Taking a deep breath she says “I need to do a lot of soul searching over the holidays and decide what I really want to do. Life is too short to stick to something that doesn’t make you happy.” But on the other hand she accepts that if the next few years will get her where she wants to be then they are a necessary evil. The only thing she does not want is to be here for the wrong reasons. She explains this further as “most people are out to prove themselves to others whereas the only people they have to prove anything to is themselves”. This is the lesson that she has leant the hard way but through perseverance and a support network she has survived. And found a way to live her life for herself.
A Land of Contradictions. A girl of the unexpected
Most first years take a gap year and travel through Europe before going to University. This was true of Franci Williams but unlike the normal living in an apartment in England; Franci chose to go to Calcutta, India to volunteer at Mother Theresa’s foundation ‘The Missionaries of Charity’.
With her long blonde hair and traditional cream linen pants bought in India, Franci looks like she’s just stepped out of the Calcuttan heat. She sits down, automatically curling her arms around her knees and radiating a peace and ease when relating her story which according to her really isn’t that interesting. Arms curled around her knees and her bare feet kneading the grass looking content, Franci explains that she really didn’t plan to go to India. In fact only after writing to the sisters at the mission and after the December holidays did she decide to go. “I was pretty much humming and haring about going. Only when January came did she decide to go. “I really just went on my gut not knowing really what to expect. Literally I had no idea what I was going to be doing; whether I would be working in orphanages, was I going or be giving injections to random people? I had no expectations what so ever”, she laughs through her brown eyes when realising how unassuming and innocent she’d been beforehand. “I was completely confident back then. I have no idea where the confidence came from” she says with a smile. Her brow suddenly furrows and her voice deepens when saying, “I think that God was calling me there and I think that’s the reason I went because when I was there I really didn’t know why I was there. I couldn’t even piece together how I managed to get there because it was so like...,” she pauses, “One day I was going and the next I wasn’t."
With her long blonde hair and traditional cream linen pants bought in India, Franci looks like she’s just stepped out of the Calcuttan heat. She sits down, automatically curling her arms around her knees and radiating a peace and ease when relating her story which according to her really isn’t that interesting. Arms curled around her knees and her bare feet kneading the grass looking content, Franci explains that she really didn’t plan to go to India. In fact only after writing to the sisters at the mission and after the December holidays did she decide to go. “I was pretty much humming and haring about going. Only when January came did she decide to go. “I really just went on my gut not knowing really what to expect. Literally I had no idea what I was going to be doing; whether I would be working in orphanages, was I going or be giving injections to random people? I had no expectations what so ever”, she laughs through her brown eyes when realising how unassuming and innocent she’d been beforehand. “I was completely confident back then. I have no idea where the confidence came from” she says with a smile. Her brow suddenly furrows and her voice deepens when saying, “I think that God was calling me there and I think that’s the reason I went because when I was there I really didn’t know why I was there. I couldn’t even piece together how I managed to get there because it was so like...,” she pauses, “One day I was going and the next I wasn’t."
Franci’s brown eyes gaze intensely at the grass when explaining that instead of giving injections to orphans she was ministering to some of the poorest people in Calcutta who had been rejected by society. “The people weren’t necessarily materially poor but spiritually poor as well,” Franci says soberly. She continues that initially she had no real attachment to Mother Theresa but, “After experiencing and living the kind of life she lived, my mind just boggles. That a person can just have so much love it’s amazing. Definitely now, when I think of her she’s like one of my wow kind of people, Franci smiles broadly, emphasising the wow with broad hand gestures and eyes aflame.
Franci relaxes and gently fingers the grass while flexing her toes when she explains that her experience in a lot of ways confirmed the type of person she wanted to be. “Before I went I used to be really cynical about the world and humanity. But after meeting so many people who really care about humanity; I was like how do you love like that?” she asks shaking her head. "It was refreshing because I came back knowing the type person I wanted to be," she continues quietly.
The leap from the busy streets of Calcutta back home to the quiet suburbs of Grahamstown was quite an adjustment for Franci. “In India the people are very special. Strangers greet you with openness and trust”, she says fondly. I find South African people, who have so much money, tend to be very bitter and resentful. Whereas a person in India can only have a plastic packet and half a bag of rice and they’ll be willing to share it with you”, she explains defiantly with arms in the air. Franci also found it hard to adjust to her academic work which according to her, “It just felt so trivial to have to explain the difference between Modernism and Post-Modernism when there are people dying.” My experience has definitely made me question my degree. Maybe the type of education I want is a more holistic one.” Franci stares into the trees wistfully saying, “My heart still feels like it’s in India at times but I’m here now to get an education. Hopefully, one day I’ll go back.”
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Ice-cream Run
If there is one thing that any ice-cream lover needs to know in order to survive at Rhodes it is the Steers Ice Cream Run! At almost anytime of day and sometimes well into the night no matter how cold the weather students can be seen taking a stroll to the local Steers for some of the best ice-creams in town. I have myself just tonight been on an ice-cream run with the girls. It resulted from a spontaneous decision after supper that ice-cream was to be devoured at the anointed hour of 20:30. So off we went in the cold to fill our bellies with the ice-creamy goodness for no particular reason but to get out with your friends for some fresh air and if a tasty frozen treat happens to be involved – bonus!
I suspect that as summer starts to kick off (today was a brilliant warm day) and the Grahamstown cold begins to release its icy grip that these ice-cream runs will become more frequent. Which is great for my stomach that loves ice-cream but not so good for my body which enjoys to store the said ice-cream in all my love handles. At this point I think it would be wise to…..increase the number of times I go to the gym. Bet you though I was going to give up the ice-cream didn’t you. No such luck I’m afraid the ice-cream is too good and the ice-cream runs just too much fun.
Happy Eating!
Shhh, no noise in the library!
It's ironic how libraries are supposed to embody quietness and order and be the perfect place to study. Yet, currentely our very own library embodies none of the abov characteristics as I found out when researching for my history essay.
As all of you know the Rhodes library has, in the past week ,started undergoing reconstruction to enlarge and modernise it. Which is great since it will be running state of the art technogy would greatly benefit a budding journalism student like myself. However, what I negected to mention is that this constrcution will be continuing for the next 4 years. Which means that I'll probably never get to use it and on the occasion when I need it, it'll be to noisy to study in there.
So this poses the question how on earth are we supposed to cope with the noise from the construction when just walking across the quad is enough to make you cover your ears?
What I discovered today is that the only way to combat modern machinery is with modern-day technology; that is the ipod and the laptop.
The Libaray's cataloguing system happens to be available from every computer provided that you're on the Rhodes website. Great, that means I can find the books I'm looking for while I'm sitting in my res room. But what about collecting them? This is where the ipod comes in handy. Choose the loudest music you have and put it on high. This is enough to block out the hammering and roaring of Caterpillar wheels. This creates the effect that you're in your own secure world away from the inconveniences of building. It always amazes me how we're able to deal with our own loud blarring music while studying but any other noise is the greatest irritation.
Regarding exam studying: I don't have any solutions unless you have a warden like mine who's converting one of our common rooms into a study area in order to provide an alternative solution to the Library problem.
Not sure that this post was of any use but it was fun ranting about the library :)
Sarah
As all of you know the Rhodes library has, in the past week ,started undergoing reconstruction to enlarge and modernise it. Which is great since it will be running state of the art technogy would greatly benefit a budding journalism student like myself. However, what I negected to mention is that this constrcution will be continuing for the next 4 years. Which means that I'll probably never get to use it and on the occasion when I need it, it'll be to noisy to study in there.
So this poses the question how on earth are we supposed to cope with the noise from the construction when just walking across the quad is enough to make you cover your ears?
What I discovered today is that the only way to combat modern machinery is with modern-day technology; that is the ipod and the laptop.
The Libaray's cataloguing system happens to be available from every computer provided that you're on the Rhodes website. Great, that means I can find the books I'm looking for while I'm sitting in my res room. But what about collecting them? This is where the ipod comes in handy. Choose the loudest music you have and put it on high. This is enough to block out the hammering and roaring of Caterpillar wheels. This creates the effect that you're in your own secure world away from the inconveniences of building. It always amazes me how we're able to deal with our own loud blarring music while studying but any other noise is the greatest irritation.
Regarding exam studying: I don't have any solutions unless you have a warden like mine who's converting one of our common rooms into a study area in order to provide an alternative solution to the Library problem.
Not sure that this post was of any use but it was fun ranting about the library :)
Sarah
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Dear Friend
I can’t believe I’m almost done with my first year at varsity and that you’re almost finished matric. Scary how time flies but then again thanks to the work load and the recurring late nights (and no it’s not always due to partying) I’m actually glad this year’s almost over! I can’t wait to see my family and have a good home cooked meal again. The whole “surprise” factor about the food in the dining hall is starting to wear really thin and I’m beginning to worry about the meat dishes as there seem to be less and less donkey carts around, but at least today I got a good plate of food as everything was covered in a thick sauce so I couldn’t see what I was eating.
Anyway, besides developing my immune system, my driving lessons are going well thanks. I haven’t crashed, had a fit of road rage or mowed anyone down which is saying quite a lot for a female driver from Joburg don’t you think? My instructor is a young guy who reminds me of The Grinch out of a Dr Seuss novel but despite being in need of a shave and maybe a haircut, he’s pleasant and confident I’ll pass my drivers. It’s a lot easier taking driving lessons in Grahamstown than in Joburg although the rate of knocking over a pedestrian is rather high at the moment thanks to the R10 draught specials at the local pub every week.
The prices for driving lessons are quiet heavy for a student budget but if you ask your mobile ATM aka your dad I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Good luck for the upcoming matric exams and I look forward to seeing you next year.
Lots of love and hugs
Alex
x(“,)x
P.S. Maths is rather challenging but if in doubt just say the answer is x as x can equal anything.
The Homesickness Beastie
My dearest Funky Chicken
How are you my crazy friend? I am so excited that you are coming here next year! We are going to have so much fun together!
Varsity is great, but one would imagine that after spending two years overseas, homesickness was a thing of the past. Not so for me though. After the initial excitement of orientation week, Grahamstown partying, meeting new friends, choosing new subjects, new everything actually, the homesickness beastie bit me on the bum!
Imagine my surprise when at the most inopportune moments I would start missing my insufferably grumpy mom. I’m sure you remember how she can be: perfectly docile and seemingly harmless, and then unexpectedly the tornado hits and chaos breaks loose, and you find yourself running for your life.
Other days I would crave a cuddly hug from my hairy dad.
I even missed wrestling around on the floor with my smelly “little” brother, something I didn’t’ get to do much whilst I was overseas, yet now that I’m here I miss it a lot!
After moping around for a while with my lip dragging on the ground I decided to take action and fight this beastie that was constantly lurking behind me, taking sharp nips at my behind at the most inappropriate times!
Getting involved in everything I possibly could was the best solution I could think of. The busier you are, the less time you have to think about missing your family and their strange quirks. So I started participating more actively in all those wonderful societies they persuaded me to sign up for at the beginning of the year. I volunteered myself to help out with functions and go on outings wherever possible and threw myself into making more friends with great zest.
Slowly but surely all this running around and socialising eventually tired the homesickness beastie out and he could no longer keep up with me, and left my rather tender bottom alone at last!
There you have it, how to fight off a homesickness beastie! I can’t wait to hear from you!
All my love
Gabi
How are you my crazy friend? I am so excited that you are coming here next year! We are going to have so much fun together!
Varsity is great, but one would imagine that after spending two years overseas, homesickness was a thing of the past. Not so for me though. After the initial excitement of orientation week, Grahamstown partying, meeting new friends, choosing new subjects, new everything actually, the homesickness beastie bit me on the bum!
Imagine my surprise when at the most inopportune moments I would start missing my insufferably grumpy mom. I’m sure you remember how she can be: perfectly docile and seemingly harmless, and then unexpectedly the tornado hits and chaos breaks loose, and you find yourself running for your life.
Other days I would crave a cuddly hug from my hairy dad.
I even missed wrestling around on the floor with my smelly “little” brother, something I didn’t’ get to do much whilst I was overseas, yet now that I’m here I miss it a lot!
After moping around for a while with my lip dragging on the ground I decided to take action and fight this beastie that was constantly lurking behind me, taking sharp nips at my behind at the most inappropriate times!
Getting involved in everything I possibly could was the best solution I could think of. The busier you are, the less time you have to think about missing your family and their strange quirks. So I started participating more actively in all those wonderful societies they persuaded me to sign up for at the beginning of the year. I volunteered myself to help out with functions and go on outings wherever possible and threw myself into making more friends with great zest.
Slowly but surely all this running around and socialising eventually tired the homesickness beastie out and he could no longer keep up with me, and left my rather tender bottom alone at last!
There you have it, how to fight off a homesickness beastie! I can’t wait to hear from you!
All my love
Gabi
Letter to my younger self
Dearest Tarryn
I know that you have had a tough first year at university and at times have seriously wondered if you are doing the right thing and should even be at university. I understand what you are going through and as your much older and therefore wiser self I would like to offer you some advice.
In this the fourth term, especially, I know that you are doubting whether you will be able to keep this all up for three more years. You are thinking “gees that is a long time” and that the end seems so far away. Yes life in Grahamstown is a bubble and yes you will get bored with studying and at times want to drop out to go travel again. I will not lie and tell you that these things will change or that when your sister calls from London or Spain or whichever country she finds herself in that you will not feel jealous that she is out living life while you are stuck swimming round and round the fishbowl that has become your life.
What I can do is say that the end of your studying will come and you will survive. As with everything that has been thrown your way so far you can handle it if you try. In three years time you will be able to reap the rewards of sticking it out and you will be amazed at the things that you will do and places you will see. So when you get disheartened and all you want to do is escape, take a deep breath and remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Trust me I am of course the wiser version of you.
There is an ocean out there waiting to be explored by you and take it from me you don’t want to miss out on your chance.
Wishing you strength and patience.
All my love
x Tarryn
The Rhode not taken...
Dear Eager-Beaver-High
Who would have thought those five years of intensive training and planning for the future would land up like this, me in varsity and you locked up someone never to be found again. I remember us like military soldiers making a pact that we would never allow ourselves to be subsided into peer pressure, well look at me now, head low and shoulders shrugged, upper posture gone astray. A sense of fear clouds upon me as I trace back to your innocent and see the dismay in your eyes. I have lost touch with what I used to be and the gap between us matures, varsity has brought about several disruptions to the plans that we had set aside for us, academically as well as socially. Firstly finding friends was definitely not the same, our good mate from home has done a disappearing act on us at Rhodes, from best friends to worse enemies. We hardly exchange words let along glances, the whole ordeal has left me tangled in friendships where my voice became mute, experimenting with intoxicating substances like Stroh Rum which leaves the body all fired up, this seemed better than sitting alone in my bland room, reminiscing over the bubbly days spent together where being with friends was all the fun I needed. You probably reading this and shaking your head in disapproval but I also do not favor the person I have become.
I warn you Eager-Beaver-High, about underestimating Rhodes.It may seem like an isolated island but the people which you encounter can turn it into the fast life of the golden city, Johannesburg, trend careful and look out for that good mate from home. She has shown me another side to life, never depends on a person too much.
I trust you will read this and have an open mind when coming to university in the future and select your friendships wisely. My change is the reason for our drift; you may not agree that this change has brought good into my life, however now I know myself better than before. Soldier sign off
Realistic-Varsity-Beaver
Who would have thought those five years of intensive training and planning for the future would land up like this, me in varsity and you locked up someone never to be found again. I remember us like military soldiers making a pact that we would never allow ourselves to be subsided into peer pressure, well look at me now, head low and shoulders shrugged, upper posture gone astray. A sense of fear clouds upon me as I trace back to your innocent and see the dismay in your eyes. I have lost touch with what I used to be and the gap between us matures, varsity has brought about several disruptions to the plans that we had set aside for us, academically as well as socially. Firstly finding friends was definitely not the same, our good mate from home has done a disappearing act on us at Rhodes, from best friends to worse enemies. We hardly exchange words let along glances, the whole ordeal has left me tangled in friendships where my voice became mute, experimenting with intoxicating substances like Stroh Rum which leaves the body all fired up, this seemed better than sitting alone in my bland room, reminiscing over the bubbly days spent together where being with friends was all the fun I needed. You probably reading this and shaking your head in disapproval but I also do not favor the person I have become.
I warn you Eager-Beaver-High, about underestimating Rhodes.It may seem like an isolated island but the people which you encounter can turn it into the fast life of the golden city, Johannesburg, trend careful and look out for that good mate from home. She has shown me another side to life, never depends on a person too much.
I trust you will read this and have an open mind when coming to university in the future and select your friendships wisely. My change is the reason for our drift; you may not agree that this change has brought good into my life, however now I know myself better than before. Soldier sign off
Realistic-Varsity-Beaver
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