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!”
Thursday, October 2, 2008
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
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