The Oppidan PressEdition 1, 1 February 2013

THE

O-WEEK

EDITION

A fresh start for Rhodes societies (or else)

What’s your situation? DIGS VS. RES

2

38

SEX, DRUGS AND UBOM!

SRC O-Week schedule INSIDE 3

see page 4 see page 11see page 6 and 7

Stop and see the sights Navigate student politics Keep out of the red this O-week

News Features2 The Oppidan Press 1 February 2013

Student mealsMicrowavable

Homecooked meals Dried fruit and nutsLOTS OF GOODIES

Come visit us at 22 New Street

open from 10h00 until 18h00 046 622 9906

One last chance for student societiesBy Amanda Xulu

Newcomers to Grahamstown, anxious that there may not be much to do in a town as small as this, may be comforted by the

presence of over 80 active student societies on campus. However, there have been consistent com-plaints from students with regard to these societies not fulfilling their promises.

Once persuaded to sign up for a student society, many students expressed frustration at their not receiving their money’s worth. These societies are accused of providing punch and a t-shirt, or focusing their resources on hosting a memorable, and at times alcohol-fuelled, Annual General Meeting.

Disappointed students noted that this was not what they had been led to expect from a typical society and is certainly not what the society has mandated itself to do.

“Failing to communicate with society members and misusing funds for things that do not benefit them constitutes seriously poor management,” said 2012 Rhodes Debating Chairman, Afika Nqeto.

In response to such criticisms the Students Repre-sentative Council (SRC) promised to tackle the issue. Societies that are not performing at their admin-istrative, financial and social best will soon find themselves becoming a part of the Rhodes University

society archives. However, considering the SRC’s previous mis-

management of funds and failure to provide grants to certain societies, societies which have been able to perform well hope that this issue of mismanage-ment will be handled within the ranks of the SRC before measures are imposed on other organizations. “We have helped people draft wills and sort out is-sues with micro-lenders. I feel that we have proven ourselves,” said Legal Activism committee member, Meghan Eurelle.

The poor management of largely inactive societies was discussed extensively at last year’s SRC electoral debate. Both of the candidates running for the posi-tion of Societies Councillor promised to implement swift and radical changes in order to do away with these lacklustre societies.

The decision was therefore made by 2013 Socie-ties Councillor Amanda Green to put all student societies on a year-long probation, effective imme-diately. Speaking of her attempts to transform the Universities societies, Green stated, “Administra-tively, managing over 80 societies has not been ideal. Through the newly amended policy, which will be enforced this year, societies will be under a year-long probation period, whereby their ability to function as fully active and effective societies will be put under question.”

The enforcement of a probation period provides

inadequate and barely active societies with a final chance to get their affairs in order.

“The main goal for this year is maximising the potential of current societies before taking the step of creating new ones,” said Green. She went on to ex-press her hopes and expectations that society grants will be allocated to deserving projects, that will be successfully carried out by cohesively performing societies. Green echoed the sentiments of many disillusioned society members by also noting the necessity of, “Having societies that are accountable to their members and for students to have a fulfilling experience with that society by getting what was promised.”

By being entirely accountable to society members, Green hopes that society committees will be more prudent in the running of their respective societies, so as to ensure an enjoyable experience for all. The effective management of finances is also a crucial requirement during the period of probation, since this is something many societies have failed to do in the past. If a society fails to meet any of these requirements, it may mean the end for that society, Green warned.

With such a vibrant range of societies on offer, it would be a shame to see the demise of beloved and established societies, due to the poor leadership of a few. It is hoped that these societies will be steered back onto the right path.

SRC Societies Councillor Amanda Green speaks about probation plan at the 2012 Grazzle held in the General Lecture Theatre. Photo: IVAN BLAZIC

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A warm welcome to all our new first year students and an equally warm welcome back to all our returning students as well. You have registered at an excellent university and our office aims to help you make the best of your time with us. First years, please take a close look at our new orientation page at http://www.ru.ac.za/orientationgateway/.

As you embark on a new year of studies at Rhodes, I’d like to remind all of you that the main reason you are at Rhodes is aca-demic: you are here to get a degree. So please do make your academic courses the very centre of your lives and then add the ‘extras’ on the edges of the circle, taking on only those extramural activities which you really can manage.

The range of choices is enor-mous, the leadership opportunities are amazing and it’s all up to you: work hard, play hard, ‘live smart’ and care about each other.

When things go wrong, please come to our office for help and advice in relation to any issues that are causing undue stress and negatively affecting your life. In particular we will support you if you have been affected, either directly or indirectly, by violence or assault, harassment of any kind, family crises, disability or issues relating to substance abuse. We do not handle university discipline, but will offer advice if you find yourself in trouble. Academic mat-ters are handled by the academic deans.

Make an appointment with someone at the Office of the Dean of Students and share the problem, or email dean.students@ru.ac.za . We will explore options with you and do our best to ensure that you are treated fairly and justly.

I also invite all students to become my Facebook friend – simply ask and I will accept you, I promise! I write a daily tweet, commenting on issues of current importance at Rhodes and an-nouncing recent Rhodes news or forthcoming events.

Follow me on Twitter @Vivian-DeKlerk or http://www.facebook.com/vivian.deklerk.

Good luck to each of you for 2013 – I hope you enjoy the year and make the most of this precious opportunity.

Vivian de Klerk

Dean of Students

WELCOME FROM THE

DEAN OF STUDENTS

News Features1 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 3

Date Time Venue Task/Function

Sunday 3 Feb 20h00 Great Field Jazz Evening

Monday 4 Feb

Tuesday 5 Feb 19h30 Great Hall RU Jamming Upper Campus

Wednesday 6 Feb 19h30 Great Hall RU Jamming Lower Campus

Thursday 7 Feb 21h30 Great Hall RU Jamming Finale

Friday 8 Feb 19h30 onwards Alec Mullins & Great Hall

Sports & Societies Extravaganza

Saturday 9 Feb

Friday 15 Feb 17h00-01h00 Great Field SRC Party

Upper Campus

NGOYI/ MANDELA/ OPPIESKIM EAST/ KIM WESTTUTU/ HOBSON

Lower Campus

C-LATIMER/ST MARY/ FOUNDERSDROSTDY/ A. WEBB/ SMUTS

SRC O-Week Event Schedule 2013

Digs or Res? Independence or Convenience?In light of rising costs, safety issues, transportation and individual maturity, make the best decision with student accommodation

By Teigue Blokpoel & Tim Rangongo

The Rhodes University Residence Division stated that there were dwindling num-

bers of students in residence during 2012, resulting in some residences being left with unoccupied rooms.

However, the decision made by students to move from res to digs (off campus living) is one which requires careful consideration. While digs life often promises freedom and independ-ence the lived reality does not match up to the ideal and as such, a weigh up of several factors must be considered in order to make the most beneficial decision.

Firstly and most importantly, there is the financial perspective. One of the principal reasons students choose to live off campus are the incredibly high prices of residence. Class B reses- which generally have smaller rooms, often do not have in-room basins and have high numbers of students cost R41 300 per year, according to the 2013 fees booklet. Even more than this is the R43 400 price tag that comes with Class A residences, which gener-ally have bigger rooms and fewer stu-dents. Post-graduate residences, which are certainly more intimate are still

incredibly expensive at an annual cost of R48 900. Considering that students have to pay extra to stay during the va-cation and still require pocket money

to add a few comforts to residence, the end cost is quite substantial, especially on top of tuition fees.

The rental fee of a digs is associated with a number of factors, such as the location of the digs. Generally, the closer to campus, the more expensive the digs. Other factors include the number of people sharing the digs, the provision of water and/or electricity, Hi-Tec security services, furnish-ings and appliances such as washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators and other essential items. On average, however, monthly rent ranges between R 1 500 - R 2 900 per person sharing.

Bear in mind that the cost of rent allows one to stay in a full 12 months. Hypothetically speaking, the aver-age cost of staying in digs could be

calculated at close to R 38 400 a year. This figure includes a lease of R 2 000 p/m for rent, R 200 per week for pre-paid electricity and about R 1 000 p/m

for groceries, depending on how much the person(s) consume. These amounts will vary depending on the specific situation of the student.

“Most people have the opinion that living in digs is better than res. Well that’s true, provided your pocket can handle the better lifestyle,” said student Tapiwa Nhari, who lives in digs.

On-campus living is certainly ben-eficial to students needing to make a mad dash to their department to hand in an essay or tutorial just in time to meet the deadline. Furthermore, being surrounded by people, having set meal times and rules is good for providing structure and convenience in the lives of students. While food in residence is by no means gourmet, it is undeniably cheap and convenient. It is all paid for

and no time is used in preparation and cleaning, as this is all done for you.

Alongside the aspect of convenience Jaqueline Pinto, who is in her penulti-mate year of her LLB and a sub warden of Helen Joseph Residence, stresses that “Safety is a major aspect of res life that is definitely a positive, this is because crime is a significant problem in Grahamstown, especially for girls when coming home in the evenings.”

Foregoing the financial and practi-cal aspects, both res and digs living have something different to offer with regards to emotional education.

Vice-Chancellor (VC) Saleem Badat said, “first years in residences are likely to settle down quicker and attend to academic work without the distrac-tions of digs chores.” He added that, “first year students in residences tend to perform academically better than those in digs.”

That being said, student Miriam Maulana noted that, “Staying in digs for me has been a learning experience. I’ve learnt to take care of myself, to be responsible. I was a boarder all my life. Living with other people was some-thing I was privileged to learn at an early stage in life.” Comparing the two ways of living, Maulana stated that, “Digs has been an experience I needed

and was way more beneficial to me.” Masters student Lowell Scarr has had the best of both worlds. He spent his first three years at Graham Residence and moved to digs upon starting his Honours degree. “I thought res was great, especially in my first year. The vibe was awesome, I made lots of mates and still had the luxury of being super close to town, with all the conveniences of res, like food and not paying for electricity”, said Scarr. However the allure of digs does tend to become increasingly great over the years. “There comes a point when the independence and general freedom of digs life outweighs the convenience of res, but I think this is probably the norm for most people,” stated Scarr.

There are numerous reasons why one should apply to live in residence, ranging from social to academic, all of which indicate that it is the structure that will generate the most support and convenience for students beginning their university careers. It is clear that despite the numerous pros of living in residence, it can be argued that it would be beneficial for students to try living in a digs since it offers something completely different to students and completes one’s overall university experience.

Residence fees per year range from R41300- R48900

Digs costs per year are estimated at+/- R38400

These costs will vary from student to student. ”

Politics4 The Oppidan Press 1 February 2013

By Bongani Dzeya

O-Week is one of the most fun-filled times for first years and is filled with interesting events that will introduce new students to the university and its functions. Consequently, a number of awareness programmes are held in student residences and around campus. The Dean of Students Alcohol Awareness programme is one such initiative.

In response to the growing concern about alcohol consumption by Rhodes University students, the negative im-pact it may have on academics, student safety and the chances of consequence substance abuse, the policy for the re-sponsible use of alcohol was approved by the Student Representative Council (SRC) in 2007.

With the work of the SRC and the Dean of Students Office, this policy aims to regulate the use and promotion of alcohol at any event held on campus. Sporting events have designated drinking areas and hall events need a hall warden’s approval in order to have alcohol allowed in the venue.

No alcoholic events are held in dining halls throughout Orienta-tion Week. Furthermore, the Dean of

Students challenge is held annually to promote camaraderie amongst students at alcohol-free events such as Viv’s Variety Show.

When implementing the policy, the university did consider the fact that students are adults and they can make their own choices when it comes to alcohol consumption. However, the university tries to foster an environ-ment that is safe for students and promote healthy living lifestyles.

This does not necessarily mean that alcohol is strictly prohibited on campus, but only certain alcoholic bev-erages like wine and beer are allowed in residences. Furthermore, public drinking is strictly prohibited, as per South African law.

Should students find themselves in a compromising situation, there are ser-vices available. The Dean of Student’s ‘Get Home Safe’ transport service is geared towards safely transporting intoxicated students back to their respective residence or digs.

Should students use this service one too many times, however, they will be referred to the Student Counseling Center to try and help them to regulatetheir alcohol use. The Health Care Centre also provides support services relating to alcohol issues.

DASO: poorly supported or simply badly run?By Emily Corke

Rhodes is home to two of the larg-est student political organisations in South Africa: the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) and the African National Congress affiliated, South African Student Congress (SASCO), both of which are registered with the university’s Societies Council. Notwithstanding a year of apparent success in the few endeavours that DASO has taken on, there has been little evidence of the organisation’s activity around campus.

DASO chairperson Luyanda Mfeka felt that the organisation had not been as effective as it had originally intended in creating a real space for itself in the student body. Despite being envisioned as a mouthpiece for

the party on campus, The Oppidan Press reported on DASO’s inactivity near the end of 2012. Mfeka com-mented in the report, stating that it was largely due to issues faced within the society itself. However, larger debates facing DASO affiliates also had an impact on the organisation’s operation.

DASO is a small society of just 68 members and it is looking to increase its membership in 2013 in order to become more visible on campus.

In 2012, the events and meetings held to get members involved were poorly attended. “It was hard to run a society when there is hardly anyone to run it,” explained Mfeka.

Furthermore, it was asserted that communication errors and bad tim-ing of the communications between the committee and the society mem-bers added to their shortcomings.

2012: a year of budget blunders and

inter-varsity success for the SRCBy Emily Corke

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is the link between the student body and the university administration. If you were to ask many students

around campus what their opinion is of their SRC, the responses are likely to be a mixture of the following: “great parties”, “budget and money issues”, “useless and ineffective” and, most frequently, you would hear about the spats on the SRC Facebook page. Such a standpoint is likely to be well entrenched before new students have even met the 2013 SRC.

During Orientation Week, new students may become more closely acquainted with the 2013 SRC, led by Presi-dent Sakhe Badi. A number of events are co-ordinated by the SRC during the week and it is here where students will begin to form their opinion of the Council. What is un-known to the new Rhodes Students however, is the story of how this group of students was elected and the effectiveness of the SRC during 2012.

Following a lengthy election process, that elicited contro-versy and outrage from students and candidates alike, the 2012 SRC elections finally drew to a close at the end of the third term. This was after the first round of the elections failed to reach quorum, despite high hopes for the par-ticipation of the student body. SRC Liaison and Electoral Officer for 2012 Eric Ofei attributed the troubles faced by the electoral team to the Inter-Varsity weekend’s overshad-owing of the elections as well as poor campaigning.

Another matter of contestation was the decision to involve the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) in the first round of the SRC elections. This costly involvement was unbudgeted for by the Council, which was attempting to surmount the deficit left behind by previous Councils.

According to Vice-President Internal for 2013 Brad Bense, the IEC’s involvement would have been incred-ibly useful, but since “we didn’t reach quorum while they facilitated the election, it does seem like an awful waste of money”.

The substantial deficit left behind by previous SRCs chal-lenged the 2012 Council significantly. The debt of the SRC was due to poor management of funds by previous council-lors. When a new Council is elected, these debts are carried into their term.

The 2012 SRC claimed to have paid off this debt in Oc-tober 2012. A feat which Deputy Dean of Students, Rodger Adams attributed to the 2012 Council’s rational manage-ment of expenses. Each portfolio was put under a tight

budget, for which they had to submit a budget request. In order to get rid of the SRC deficit the 2012 Council

underspent by R250 000. They also introduced the position of Admin and Finance Assistant to the 2013 SRC, to man-age finances and assist the SRC in understanding how the university funds ought to be spent in 2013.

However, due to its administrative shortcomings, the SRC was the target of much criticism during 2012. Many of the student societies received their society grants very late in the year, inhibiting their ability to function to a great extent.

This dissatisfaction was reflected in the controversial and ofttimes uniformed statements made by various student contributors on the SRC Facebook page. This resulted in a consistently sensationalist commentary on all matters related to the SRC. There were also a number of personal spats on the page, relating to or directed at current coun-cillors and 2013 SRC candidates. This served as a major digression from the page’s original purpose, as a tool for ef-fective communication with the student body. Humorous as the student body found these interactions to be, they served no real purpose for the SRC and student body alike.

Despite the frustration of the 2012 election process, Bense was confident that the restructuring of the Council and the lengthly training process for the incoming Council, made for a successful handover to the 2013 SRC.

The training process included a training camp for the new SRC in September 2012 to kick-start the shadow term. As per the changes made to the SRC constitution earlier in 2012, the new handover process’s extensive programme involved team building exercises, vision discussions and plan implementation for 2013.

A highlight for the SRC in 2012 was the success of Inter-Varsity, which according to the Dean of Students Office, had a scarce number of incidents and very few complaints were filed against Rhodes students. Consequently, Rhodes University will continue to participate in it.

Despite the budgeting issues of the SRC and the concerns raised about the cost of the after-parties held on the Great Field on the Friday and Saturday of Inter-Varsity, the SRC managed to make a profit from the event.

Going forward into 2013 the SRC, are aware that there is much to be done, and that there is a need for a change in mindset on both the part of the SRC and the student body.

According to Badi, the SRC as a student governing body needs to look to developmental goals - one of which is relevance. The SRC is hopeful that students understand what the SRC stands for, and know how each councillor is positioned to aid students and work towards their benefit.

SASCO 2012: issues of visibility and low memberships pepper societies successes

By Amanda Xulu

The South African Students Congress (SASCO) is one of the few vocal societies on campus. SASCO is a student movement focused on bringing about transformation not only in society but also within the university environment. Its aim is to promote a non-racial, non-sexist and non-classist environment by encouraging a more politicised in their thinking.

In 2012, SASCO made extensive strides towards politicising society,

despite allegations of what the society’s committee has named “sweeping statements about the ineffectiveness” of the student political society. SASCO members reportedly went into the township high schools in Grahamstown and informed matriculants about their democratic right to attend university.

They also had discussions with matriculants about the problems that they may encounter. According to SASCO Secretary, Malaika Mahlatsi, the aim of this endeavour was to raise awareness within the Grahamstown community about the possibilities

of higher learning. This was in addition to discussions held about the economic and social challenges that might face students who were not accustomed to this new environment. According to Malatsi, the responses from the local pupils and teachers were “overwhelmingly positive”.

SASCO Chairperson Bulumko Dukada acknowledged that there were issues with visibility on campus during 2012. This was said to be mostly due to the fact that not as many students signed up as were anticipated.

Dukada stressed the political society’s involvement in events

on campus such as the Sexual Violence=Silence Protest and the Muslim Student Association’s Israeli Apartheid week.

SASCO’s lowpoint arguably occurred at the annual AGM, where it was reported that the student body, along with members of SASCO, were subjected to drunken verbal abuse and intimidation by the outgoing Branch Secretary of the organisation. The election process was reportedly disrupted by the rants against the newly elected society leaders.

Reportedly, the outgoing Branch Secretary also swore at the incoming

Deputy Secretary and attempted to intimidate and assault the official from the SASCO Regional Executive Committee, who had been invited to officiate over the AGM.

SASCO’s aims for 2013 are to strengthen their ties with the local township high schools and to continue to inform the pupils about their democratic rights. They also aim to take steps towards influencing Rhodes University into admitting more students from disadvantaged environments, in the hope of relieving economic and social disparities that are prevalent in Grahamstown.

By B

O

rs and

Navigate through student politicsFrom missing funds to community voter education; The Oppidan Press introduces you to the world of student politics

Dean of Students Office take a stand

Features1 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 5

By Jordan du Toit

Environment

While most societies are about what the organisations can do for students, the environmental societies rely on what students can do to preserve and protect our planet. Considering the wide range of cases, here is a short guide for going green at university.

Galela Amanzi Meaning “pour the water”, Galela Amanzi was established in 2007. They aim to install rainwater tanks in cer-tain areas around Grahamstown, espe-cially in schools and other vulnerable areas. Through education, the society hopes to teach people about how to use water efficiently. They were not a very visible society at Rhodes in 2012, but SRC Environmental Councillor for 2012 Ruth Kruger, commended them for a very successful Water Week. For any student interested in working with water issues and hoping to play an active role in the community, this is a society to consider.

Common Ground Common Ground’s focus is on sustain-able gardening and organic farming. They have a vegetable garden on cam-pus which is free for students to use to supplement their own needs. This society was especially quiet in 2012, until the end of the year when the new committee was announced. Their events were quite limited, with one gardening session in late 2012 to end off the year. Kruger confirmed this. It remains to be seen if they will pick up their game for 2013.

ROAR The Rhodes Organisation for Animal

Rights is always one of the most active and vocal environmental societies on campus. Many people shy away from expecting to be told that veganism is the only acceptable option. However, this is not the case with ROAR. ROAR does encourage a vegan or vegetarian diet, but also supports people who aim to be informed and make humane choices about what they eat. They ran numerous events throughout the last year, including a very successful Animal Rights Week during 2012. For anyone wishing to work with and help animals, they are a useful group to join, with some highlights including SPCA visits and trips to the township.

RU Green By far the largest environmental soci-ety on campus, RU Green is also the busiest. It was created by combining the South East African Climate Con-sortium Student Forum (SEACC SF) and the Gaian Revolutions and Social Solutions (GRASS) in 2012. They focus on issues of sustainability and climate change. They have implemented com-posters and vegetable gardens through the Cleaning, Greening and Saving project that has been established in several households in eHlaleni, in Grahamstown East. They also helped to run the Environmental and Rhino Weeks in 2012.

There are many smaller societies andprojects that function at Rhodes but

these are the main environmental socie-ties who will be at the Societies Extrava-ganza. All committee members are open

to questions and will provide anyonewith more information should they need

it. All the societies can be found on theRhodes University Environment page,

www.ru.ac.za/environment.

Want to go green at Rhodes?

By Lethabo Ntshudisane

SciTech

First years entering the City of Saints will not have an easy time adjusting to the infamous

weather patterns of Grahamstown. In fact, the town’s weather has, and continues to, elude those who reside in it all year round. Even with all the tools and science involved in weather forecasting, the weatherman still struggles to predict Grahamstown’s temperamental weather accurately.

Sure, it may be 25 degrees out. Pack a jersey and umbrella. Don’t let that early morning mist fool you, it is a sure sign of a scorcher. Pile on the layers.

Student Zanele Mokhari noted, “My cousin told me about the weather here but I thought she was exaggerating, till I got here. It takes awhile to get used to it.”

“The reason Grahamstown weather is so unpredictable is because it is positioned in such a way that we are both a low pressure and high pressure

area,” said Geography Department Research Assistant, Benjamin van der Waal. Low pressure areas are usually associated with cloudy and rainy weather. High pressure areas, on the other hand, usually have clear and sunny weather. The combination of low and high pressures is why Grahamstown weather is even too unpredictable even for the weatherman.

Van der Waal explained that, “There is a lot of science that goes into weather forecasting.” A few of the methods used in weather forecasting are: synoptic weather forecasting, numerical methods and statistical methods.

The approach traditionally used in weather prediction is synoptic weather forecasting. This method makes observations of different weather elements, referring to the specific time of observation, so that one is able to glean an overall view of the changing weather patterns.

There are numerous weather services available to students,

some more reliable than others. Synoptic weather forecasting is used by the South African Weather Service, available at weathersa.co.za. In addition to normal weather predictions, Weathersa.co.za provides users with access to information about storms. Users can also opt in for alerts on storms coming towards the town.

AccuWeather is another prevalent weather services, especially on mobile platforms. Its headquarters in Pennsylvania are believed to be home to the greatest amount of meteorologists in any single location in the world. Innovative and noted for their brilliant weather services, students should feel relatively secure trusting in their ability to predict the mood of this enigmatic town.

Another tried and trusted source for Grahamstown weather is yr.no. The Internet service is provided by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. With an hourly account of Grahamstown weather, a student’s life is certainly to be enhanced by a quick consultation of these Norwegians.

Caution: Moody Grahamstown-

e

O-week Tweets @oppidanpressLauren Jean Connor (@Laureanolly) 21 JanuaryREAD!! “@oppidanpress: Tips from Rhodes students on what first years would do well to avoid http://oppidanpress.com/rhodes-for-dummies-what-to-avoid/ …”

Legal Activism (@Legal_Activism) 16 JanuaryRhodes for Dummies by @oppidanpress http://oppidanpress.com/rhodes-for-dummies-campus-hotspots/ …

Afri – can (@djturido) 9 January“@oppidanpress: New to Rhodes? Here’s what you and your parents should know as you prepare http://wp.me/p2fFPp-NP “

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The Oxford English Dictionary

defines the word ‘Oppidan’ as “an

inhabitant of a university town as

distinguished from a member of

the university itself.” i.e. as student

living off campus, in accommodation

rented independently of Rhodes, is an

Oppidan-or Oppi, for short. We also

call ourselves ’Digs’ students.

THE OPPIDAN COMMUNITY

is the single largest student body at Rhodes. Oppis enjoy the benefits of increased independence and freedom from some of the structures of life in residence, but off-campus living also provides its challenges. As the Oppi committee, we are here to assist Oppis, present and future, in overcoming these challenges.

The Oppidan Committee is comprised of Oppidans elected by fellow students. Their mandate is to look after the interest of all students living off-campus and they achieve this by maintaining channels of communication between Rhodes and Oppidans. They are also responsible for organising events and functions to get Oppidans together and interacting, thus facilitating the creation of a healthy,

vibrant Oppi society.The committee reports to the Oppidan

Hall Warden who attends Oppidan Committee meetings and is responsible for Oppidan affairs at Rhodes. The Warden also ensures that Oppidan students receive support and advice if they experience any problems while living in digs.

The Hall Warden is given substantial assistance from the Oppidan Hall Administrator who is based in the Oppidan Office in the Eden Grove Building.

The Administrator is responsible for the effective and efficient administration of the Hall and provides organisational support to the Hall, which includes the Hall Warden, the students of the Hall and other individuals/groups who interact with the Hall.W

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MEET YOUR OPPIDAN COMMITTEE

WHAT IS AN OPPIDAN

HOW YOUR R155.00 OPPIDAN LEVY IS SPENT?

The Oppidan Dining Hall serves affordable lunches everyday and for further information on how to book meals and register for meals they should contact me on k.vanheerden@ru.ac.za

Grahamstown is small and, while there may be loads to do, there will come a time

in the life of any Rhodes student when the desire to fly the nest and see the world beyond can no longer be ignored. Luckily for those of an adventurous spirit, the Cacadu Dis-trict in which we find ourselves is full of interesting places to explore. Grab some friends, clear your day and find a car to set out on one of the following day trips.

Kenton-on-Sea has more of a vil-lage atmosphere than other nearby coastal towns, according to Erica McNulty of their tourism office. Lying between the Kariega and Bushman’s Rivers at the heart of the Sunshine Coast, Kenton is favoured by those who love the outdoors, offering nature reserves, canoeing, hiking, swimming, and kite-surfing. Origi-nally a farm, the area was named after Kenton in the United Kingdom, a town that had been the home of the British settler who owned the land. Upon its later sale, Kenton-on-Sea was divided up into smaller plots, eventually becoming the town we

know today. According to McNulty, the small

town is always happy to receive the many Grahamstown students who flock to her beaches over the weekend or during exams. McNulty recom-mended Kariega Beach which, with its warm, clean waters and life-guard facilities throughout the season, has internationally recognised Blue Flag accreditation. South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to have beaches granted Blue Flag status and the Eastern Cape is lucky enough to boast several of these. However, McNulty maintains that Kariega is the best of the lot. There are also the Joan Murihead Nature Reserve Trails. The trails are located on a 30 hectare reserve between the Bushman’s and Kariega Rivers. Pull through for a day in the sun followed by drinks or din-ner at popular and reasonably priced beachfront restaurant, Homewoods.

If you are looking for a slightly less sleepy seaside town, Port Alfred may be the place to spend a day. Divided in two by the flowing Kowie River, the town was established by a group of British settlers and originally

known as Port-O-Grahamstown because, being the main thoroughfare into the Eastern Cape at the time, the Kowie River allowed settlers to trans-port stock into Grahamstown.

According to Natasha Haller, man-ager of the Port Alfred Royal Guest House, the town has since under-gone a number of name changes and retains the name chosen by excited townspeople in anticipation of a visit by Prince Alfred in the 1800s which, ironically, never came to pass after the then royal was distracted by elephant hunting up-country.

Port Alfred, which was once a lit-tle fishing village, is now a busy, yet charming, commercial and residen-tial area. Port Alfred offers similar recreational activities to Kenton, be-ing particularly ideal for water sports, but is also a well-known for its many bars and restaurants. Haller recom-mends taking a boat cruise complete with cash bar up the Kowie River.

If you’re heading through to Port Alfred on the R67, you might find yourself distracted along the way by the giant fig trees and quaint old buildings of Bathurst. Seemingly little

more than a T-Junction, Bathurst is the perfect place to stop and explore old curio shops, charming art galler-ies, and gorgeous gardens.

Situated on the fringe of the Sun-shine Coast and Frontier Country, this little town has the feel of rural England in Africa, just as the coloniz-ers would have liked it.

A great place to stop and eat or participate in a bit of karaoke, the Pig and Whistle Pub and Inn was built in 1831 by British Settler Thomas Hart-ley and is believed by some to be the oldest existing inn in South Africa. Another option is the neighbouring Bathurst Arms Pub and Grill which doubles up as a curiosity shop and backpackers. This pub boasts a deli-cious menu, from lightly grilled sea bass fillet to Chargrilled sirloin steak. Sunday mornings also see Bathurst host the weekly farmer’s market, where one can buy crafts, jams, cheese, and fresh produce.

Bathurst is well known for its annual agricultural show, but many head through to the town to see the famous giant pineapple. Over 16 meters high, the steel, concrete and

fiberglass fruit is found on a farm just outside Bathurst and sports a restaurant, a small gift shop, informa-tive displays about agriculture in the area, and views across vast stretches of farmland all the way to the sea.

One can also take the time to see the Toposcope, a spot from which the 1820s settlers locations were often surveyed. The stones in the wall were taken from the ruins of old settler homes and 57 bronze plaques give visitors details about the settlements. In good weather, it is possible to see from the Fish River to Kwaaihoek.

Take the time out to do one of these day trips and learn a bit more about the Eastern Cape. Enjoy the drive as well, which will often take you past game farms where members of the big five and other animals can be viewed for free. “You never know where a spontaneous road trip might take you,” said Nina Joubert, alumnus of the School of Journalism and Me-dia Studies, “Once I decided to take a turn down a dirt road on my way to Port Alfred and I landed up finding a railway bridge, a waterfall and a fascinating history lesson.”

Make an out of town adventureWords by Kyla Hazell

Travel1 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 7

Features28 August 2012 The Oppidan Press 31 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 71 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 71 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 7

Driving into Grahamstown now, it is difficult to remember a time when the particular arced turn-off of the

N2 and the leafy tree-lined streets leading into the town weren’t completely familiar to me. Yet, it was only a few short years ago that I first drove into this new and then entirely foreign place. Now faced with only a few months left here, I am struck by how important it was for me to learn the story of this Eastern Cape town in those initial unsettled months. I am struck, too, by how much of that story I have not yet heard.

Speaking to retired historian and curator emeritus of the Albany Museum complex, Sleur Way-Jones, I realise that I have fallen into the youthful trap of work and play which she says keeps Rhodes University students from engaging with Grahamstown itself. “Most students sail through their years here and have no idea where they are,” Way-Jones says. “Often they come back only years later and say that they had never realised there was a church here or a jail there.”

It is not for lack of opportunity that we remain oblivious to the turbulent past of the town we, for a short time, call home. Lining Somerset Street, at the feet of our own university campus, stand the imposing white buildings of the Albany Museum complex. Established in 1855, the museum is the second oldest in South Africa and comprises several sites, including the Natural Science Museum, the History Museum, and the Observatory Museum. The museum invites members of the public to come in and browse or dig as deeply as they desire, offering opportunities for further historical or genealogical research upon request.

Way-Jones encourages students to make an appointment to come trace their family history together with museum historians or join her on a historic walking tour of the town itself.

Nestled in the heart of Frontier Country, Grahamstown has a past steeped in struggle. We study upon the site of numerous confrontations between different groups, both those who existed in the area prior to colonialism and those who arrived from Britain. The area’s bloody tale is told in the History Museum’s Contact and Conflict gallery. This part of the museum complex focuses on both the colonial and indigenous human history of the Eastern Cape, an area which Makana Tourism director, Sue Waugh,

believes to be extremely interesting historically. “We can see this as the beginning of our multicultural society, with people learning to get along,” she said. “This is where it all started.”

Waugh explained that much of Grahamstown’s tourism industry is driven by interest in its stormy past, with people coming from countries like Britain and Germany, as well as from other African countries, to trace the area’s cultural and traditional history. “It is important for students to learn about the beginnings of South Africa, from its name to the difficulties it has faced,” Waugh said. Way-Jones agrees. “It is important for students to know something about where they are staying and to feel part of the community,” she said.

A further interesting feature of the Albany Museum complex is the Observatory Museum. A brief walk down High Street to Bathurst Street will lead one to the pretty blue and white Victorian building, which houses a “camera obscura” in its observatory tower. The obscura is an optical relic of the Victorian era which preceded the camera and is said to have led directly to its invention. The obscura, which is operated by rope from inside the tower, reflects an exact replica of Grahamstown onto a domed white table. With accurate proportions, full colour, and all movement included, the image one sees seems something like a forerunner to Google maps, except with tiny Grahamstownians moving about their business.

Climbing up narrow flights of stairs, one is able to wonder at the scenes of Victorian life which have been captured and immortalized in the furnishings of the old building’s many rooms. Upon the final floor, one finds the obscura and a helpful museum employee who demonstrates how it works and explains the story behind it. The interesting device was built by a former owner of the stately old home who was a doctor in the town. My guide informed me that the perfect 360 degree image produced by the obscura allowed staff at the house to locate the good doctor’s horse drawn carriage in the town if an emergency call came in while he was out on business.

Getting to grips with the history of Grahamstown provides a great sense of grounding and is important in understanding the story of South Africa as a whole. Take a bored afternoon or two to find out some more about your home away from home.

Words by Kyla Hazell

There are many sights to see around Grahamstown including museums, the botanical gardens and quirky shops. Photo: MICHELLE CUNCLIFFE

Get to know Grahamstown

The Albany Museum on Somerset Street hosts much of Grahamstown’s historical memorabilia. Photo: IVAN BLAZIC

Photo: KIRSTEN MAKIN

Arts & Entertainment8 The Oppidan Press 1 February 2013

By Sitha Kentane and Dirk Steynberg

Despite its size, Grahamstown’s night (and sometimes day) life offers a little something to cater

to everyone’s tastes. Whether you are in the mood for the effortless chords of the acoustic or are simply in search of a bit of dirty dub’ a walk into town will assure you find, or perhaps even discover your vibe.

Prime After extensive renovations, Prime is a notable club in Grahamstown, if simply for its gleaming all white decor. With shiny floors, vivid lighting and wall-mounted flat screens featuring popular music videos, Prime’s decor is akin to that of nightclubs in South Africa’s larger cities.

The typical Prime patron arrives dressed to impress and ready to spend. Although drink prices are reasonable enough for a student budget, there is often an entrance fee, one which is at least R10 or R20 more than other establishments.

The club caters for a wide audience and a typical night out includes a lineup of some of Grahamstown’s well-known DJs, playing a range of dancehall, hip hop, electro and house. DJs start their sets from as early as 8pm and rotate throughout the evening.

Prime has also hosted popular South Afri-can acts such as Mi Casa and Big Nuz and these performances guarantee a large crowd of fans.

Prime has three dance floors - two downstairs and one upstairs. The upper dance area is a smaller, more intimate space. Equipped with its own bar, it provides a suitable venue for private parties.

The Monastery Located on New Street, this infectious space is a dubstep delight. With a thundering dance floor and high quality sound, ‘Mon’,

as it is affectionately known, is a regular venue for those who enjoy heavy bass and an intimate setting.

Monastery has provided Grahamstown party goers with a space reminiscent of underground clubs such as those found in Europe and the United States. The iconic hooded monk image which is painted on the dark green wall, was created by a former Fine Arts student and the design and art-work speaks to the genres of music which Monastery plays.

Dubstep may be the most familiar sound at Mon, but a variety of trance, drum and bass and dance music is also on offer. On a typical night, one can find fellow student DJs entertaining the crowd from the decks. On certain nights there may also be a live act or two strung into the mix. Monastery also dedicates evenings to female DJs only and the New Bloods series opened up a space for up and coming DJs to gain recognition.

Not a bass enthusiast? Through the sound-proof doors there is a back garden, a relaxed atmosphere around the bamboo island style bar and a circle of stones around a bonfire.

Mon charges an occasional entrance fee, but it won’t break the bank. The fee is considered to be worth it, since the party at Mon is guaranteed to run into the early hours of the morning, with a great deal of the crowd trickling in way after midnight.

With a somewhat hidden entrance, some might find themselves going round in circles before finding the near-invisible door. For this reason, one should not make one’s first rodeo to The Monastery unaccompanied. Keep an eye out for the green light. Champs Action BarGrahamstown harbours many varieties of music, from modern age pop and dance, to the acoustic sounds and crooning vocals for live music lovers. Whilst walking the streets, one is certain to hear some raw

underground sounds reverberating from a small bar just off High Street, known as Champs Action Bar.

Generally appealing to a select group of the town’s students, the bar has its own par-ticular style and the doorway is a threshold to a different dimension altogether. Those who are quick to dismiss it as a dingy and dark gathering place in an obscure alley are sure to miss out on many an enjoyable evening in a vibrant and musically cultured environment.

With acts that range from metal to punk, funk to blues, as well as various acoustic performances, this is the ideal spot to hang out with friends, play a game of pool and listen to good music on a weekly basis.You’re guaranteed to find a friendly face at Champs, even if it comes in the form of the owner, ‘Dirty Mike’. He is always sure to be around. The Rat & Parrot Pizza is the most common order on this pub’s menu, at least as far as the student clientele is concerned and they are dedicated patrons indeed. This pub, located on New Street, doubles as an excellent place to go out for some hearty pub grub and catch the latest game, or to go out and enjoy a drink or two with friends.

As night falls, ‘The Rat’, as it is commonly known to students, turns from a relaxed res-taurant to a boisterous bar as the festivities begin. The night is kept alive by the sounds of punk rock, pop, dance and more than a few classic golden oldies.

In addition to the always entertaining facilities inside the pub, customers can move outside to enjoy the beer garden. One is also able to settle down in The Mouse and Budgie, a small and seated sidelong bar area, which is attached to the ground floor of the main pub. The Mouse and Budgie can be rented out and closed off for private func-tions and parties.

By Alex Maggs

This week, Ubom!, the 11-year-old, award-winning Eastern Cape drama company brings you ‘STDiesel’, a theatre production devised and directed by Jessica Harrison.

The piece was workshopped by the director and cast and is based on research conducted amongst Rhodes students. It follows last year’s ‘Hush’, a play dealing with stigma and other is-sues surrounding HIV. ‘STDiesel’ deals with issues facing students today.

According to Sifiso Sikhakhane, the Projects and Marketing Manager of Ubom!, “The play reveals an honest, funny and controversial exploration of

drug users and abusers, the dynamics of sex and alcohol culture at Rhodes and the often tumultuous nature of navigating relationships through unfamiliar terrain.”

Despite its involvement in previous years’ productions, the Student HIV and AIDS Resistance Campaign (SHARC) is not involved this year. However, 2013 SHARC President, Khanyisa Nomoyi, emphasised the importance of theatre in spreading an important message. “The show encourages students to engage with issues associated with HIV/AIDS, especially in a small town like Grahamstown where people sometimes have the misconception that ‘it doesn’t happen here’,” said

Nomoyi.

“It is a great way of eradicating the harsh stigma surrounding these issues and it sparks conversation,” Nomoyi explained. “It also goes further to extend the message that when it comes to health awareness, more especially HIV/AIDS. It’s a matter of us caring, not judging.”

Sikhakhane agreed with this per-spective. “The piece will let first years know exactly what to expect from the University lifestyle. It will help them to make the right choices, which they will abide by for the next 3- 4 years,” he said.

The production promises to be a thought-provoking, inspiring and educational experience.

A rehearsal of Sharc and Ubom!’s HIV/AIDS production. Photo: SUPPLED BY UBOM!

Grahamstown nightlife: what’s your vibe?

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Exploring sex dynamics and Rhodes’ alcohol culture

Arts & Entertainment1 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 9

Rhodes graduate makes her markBy Joni Lindes

Rhodes University was the creative inspiration for the hot, new talent that is Lucy Kruger,

whose fresh lyrical style has cemented her spot as an up-and-coming musi-cian in the South African music scene. At Rhodes she could often be seen outside the drama department, but since the release of her first album Cut Those Strings, she has been seen performing to large crowds across the country.

Kruger, 23, has been writing music since the age of 16 and said that even if she had not thrived in the tough music industry, she would still be writing mu-sic every day. “Music and the making of it ,is the one thing that makes absolute sense to me,” she said.

In 2012, Kruger launched her album in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The album features well-known South African artists such as Lark’s lead vocalist Inge Beckmann, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson, Melissa Van Der Spuy and Albert Frost. It is dubbed as a mixture of alternative pop and blues.

The single ‘Four White Walls’ is a lyrical tribute to the experience of moving house that Kruger had during her time at Rhodes.

Kruger studied music as part of her undergraduate degree at Rhodes University and completed an honours degree in Drama in 2011. Kruger said that the Drama Department had a particularly strong influence on her writing and performance of music. “There are such creatively brilliant and exciting people working in that space. My love for performance and creation definitely stems from them and that is the thing that is keeping me sane,” Kruger said.

Kruger’s experiences at Rhodes helped her to grow as a person and influenced her creatively. “I would have been a very different person creating very different music if I had not had the space to play and explore in that little town,” she said.

Since the release of her album, Kruger has performed at a variety of

gigs. She formed part of the line-up of the Rolling Stones Weekend, a festival which showcases emerging musical talent. “It was lovely, after having been gigging quite a lot in smaller venues throughout the year, to be acknowl-edged as an ‘up-and-coming’ artist,” Kruger said. She has also performed at the Grahamstown National Arts Festi-

val, the White Mountain Festival, Rocking the Daisies (alongside The Very Wicked) and Rock the River SA 2012 and is set to perform at Up the Creek later this year.

In addition to her extensive touring, Kruger also placed third in the 2012 Barleycorn songwriting competition

and was among the top twelve selected in the 2012 Bushmills Band Search.

Although Kruger has done exceed-ingly well, she noted that the music industry is tough to handle for any young musician such as herself. Her one piece of advice to aspiring musicians is: “Just play. Play as much as you can with whoever you can.”

We sing, we dance, we write, we play

By Jenna Lillie

In an attempt to cater for the plethora of passtimes present in a university environ-ment, there is an endless store of societies to join. For those looking to soothe their soul, there are a number of societies that are tailored to enable students to express their creative side.

“Music, Arts, Drama and Entertainment (MADE) is a society which provides a stu-dent volunteer programme, the creative arts of music, art, drama and dance to children involved in a project called Sakhuluntu, based in Joza,” explained 2012 Chairper-son, Jack Kaminski. Sakhuluntu, formed in 1998 by cultural activist and performer Vuyo Booi, aims to help marginalised youth, using the arts to promote a future free of crime, drugs and alcohol. “If you enjoy working with children, if you enjoy being silly and sharing your creativity, then MADE is for you,” said Vice Chairperson of 2012, Robyn Perros.

“It’s a great way to empower perform-ers from Joza and creates a support system for them on the Rhodes campus,” said Kaminski.

If words are more your forte and writing your pastime of choice, then Bua Poetry So-ciety will appeal to you. Bua, which means ‘speak’ in Sesotho, encourages its members to voice their minds and ideas. “We offer people a space to socialise as well as a plat-form to express their inner thoughts and share their ideas on the world,” explained 2012 Vice Chairperson, Thobile Dlamini. Bua hopes to grow in numbers and help first years enjoy the social scene that poetry has to offer.

Grahamstown also offers a wide variety of music and if you like playing it, or even just listening to it, Live Music Society (LMS) is the society for you. With over 300 members, LMS is one of Rhodes’ most active societies. It strives to promote and sustain emerging talent within the local music scene. The

society also has band room facilities that members can make use of.

“We provide alternative entertainment for the Rhodes students, while encouraging arts and entertainment to develop within the Grahamstown community,” explained Tamryn-leigh Dickson, 2012’s Live Music Society Chairperson. “LMS is involved in many events and collaborations with the SRC as well as national bands from all over South Africa,” she said.

In 2013, LMS plans to facilitate more exciting entertainment projects like hosting more national bands, as well as the introduction of an acoustic Battle of the Bands in addition to the electric competition that it currently runs. Another music-oriented society is the Rhodes University Chamber Choir (RUCC), founded in 1953. It is one of South Africa’s first university choral ensembles. “In order to maintain the high standards set by the choir, auditions take place and only the best make it into the ensemble,” explained 2012 Chairperson of RUCC, Elethu Mambo.

Apart from the experience one will gain in learning new languages, singing various genres and touring South Africa, more ex-citing plans await the RUCC in 2013. Next year will mark its first European tour since 1960 as the RUCC embarks on its tour as part of the South African Season in France.

Societies like DanceSport provide a platform for anyone interested in a range of dance. This society encourages expression through movement and it offers a variety of classes, from latin to contemporary. If you are a beginner or do not know how to quickstep, there are workshops that cater for you. For those interested in more special-ised genres of dance, Latin and Ballroom Dancing Soc, alongside Hip Hop Soc are also on offer.

Wherever your interests lie, Rhodes will have a society to keep you occupied. Be ad-venturous and get involved, these societies are here for you.

Photo: FRANCOIS VISSER

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A range to satisfy the student palateBy Tarryn de Kock and Kate-Lyn Moore

Be it out of pure laziness, a lack of culinary skills or because dinner in residence is served so incredibly early, the average student spends a significant sum ordering take-out meals. That is, of course, unless they opt rather to indulge in the affordable and simply delectable range of two-minute noodles offered at Pick’n’Pay.

Whether you are still feeling hungry after a dining hall meal or just not feeling too eager for res food, here is a guide to eating out (or in) in Grahamstown. Café D’Vine, Café Delizzia, Revelations, Yellow House, Red Café: these café-style eateries offer the usual sandwich or light meal, but each also has its own exciting specialty - such as Red Café’s peanut butter milkshake, Café Delizzia’s wide breakfast menu and the infamous cocktails at Yellow House.

Twing Sushi/Wok, Spur, Ruanthai, Casa de Loco, Gino’s, La Trattoria: Perfect for sit-down dinners, these restaurants tend to be a bit more expensive than the others, but offer specials frequently. La Trattoria Tuesday night 2-for-1 pasta special is a firm favourite - so be sure to book a table to avoid disappointment. If your family is visiting, these restaurants would be the perfect spots to take them out for dinner.

Pirates, The Rat & Parrot, Champs, Olde65: If you just want to grab food with your friends and make a little noise - the pubs are the ideal place for you. A firm favourite with students, the meals are well worththe cost and the atmosphere is infectious.

KFC, Steers, FishAways, Debonairs, Scooters, Wimpy, Nandos: Students should be familiar with what to expect from these franchises. For the most part they are quite affordable, cater to a variety of tastes and have extensive menus, including breakfasts, burgers, pizzas, grills and desserts. Happily for students, they (with the exception of Wimpy) will all deliver and in good time.

Haricots: If there is a special occasion coming up or you are looking to spoil yourself, pay a visit to this courtyard-style bistro. Forming part of the French Quarter, Haricots refined style and ambience is similar to that of a European dining experience. Haricots serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Juice Bar Diner: The Juice Bar Diner is only open during the day and caters to a bustling lunch crowd every day. The menu and kitchen are entirely halaal and offer a wide selection of sandwiches and rolls, as well as curry options. Catering for students on a budget, Juice Bar Diner it is a firm favourite for the student wallet. All meals are made as the order is placed.

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Opinion10 The Oppidan Press 1 February 2013

The Oppidan Press has come quite a way since its founding in 2007. It’s trail is one papered with challenges, accomplishments and copious amounts of caffeine. The start of the paper’s sixth year is one that aims to embrace, and by doing so, learn from it’s past.

2012 was a challenging year for The Oppidan Press in many ways. The difficult economic climate saw student media struggling to gain sustained advertising. This, along with a delay in the SRC grant, resulted in the paper being temporarily unable to print.

Traditionalists at heart, the idea of moving the paper completely online was contested amongst the team and the more cynically-minded of us regarded this as a huge loss for The Oppidan Press. Reflection provided the ability to see how inaccurate these assumptions were and in fact, the move to online resulted in a branching out that would significantly change The Oppidan Press for the better.

In addition to a widespread online campaign, Oppipress Online produced a weekend of live, up-to-date coverage over the Inter-Varsity weekend. These advancements created the development of a platform that would, contrary to our initial fears, keep the paper above water. A few months after moving online the paper managed to regain its financial footing and publication of the print edition resumed.

Hosting both a print and an online edition, The Oppidan Press made significant efforts to move forward by renovating its editorial and executive systems and widening its reach to new markets of online and print.

Placing both the print and online edition on equal footing, the paper set forth to do what it does best: investigate and inform. Realising the significance of social media The Oppidan Press has, and continues to make its online presence well known, through both Facebook and Twitter. In so doing, The Oppidan Press maintains the interest of readers both locally and far beyond the reaches of Grahamstown.

As the year progressed, readers witnesses a substantial leap in the content of The Oppidan Press. Since moving the news section online, the paper had the opportunity to explore longer, more in-depth pieces. Focusing its energies on topical issues such as Rhino poaching, gender-based violence and student governance, The Oppidan Press fitted firmly into the culture of activism at Rhodes, while upholding its primary journalistic responsibilities. Articles were often met with resistance and difficulties, particularly when tackling controversial issues, however, challenges faced by the team had the reverse effect, resulting in a more determined, resilient approach to producing the stories which the paper needs to produce.

With the introduction of the campus Media Council imminent The Oppidan Press is confident in its ability to produce responsible and in-depth journalism and to maintain a standard on which to be modelled and appreciated, while assessing whether or not the same standard is respected by others.

Of The Rat and RhodentsThe reflections of a fourth year student on university life, friendships formed and frivolity

By Andrew Tudhope

Everyone says that the friends you make at univer-sity will be like no others you will ever find and will often become friends for life.

Reflecting on what I heard in my first year, I wish that someone had told me more about the type of people I would meet when I came here and the relationships I would form with them.

Students are told so many things upon entering univer-sity: where to go, what to study, what sort of people to look out for and what sort of people to stay away from. We are inundated with more information than we can handle, and so we swoon around during O-Week, in awe of the freedom of student life and drunk on the lack of responsibility, mixed in with Autumn Harvest’s finest blend.

The friends one makes at university are worlds apart from the friends one had at school. As we learn how to live our

own lives and seek to define ourselves, friends take on an entirely different role. Gone are the relatively easy days of school where usually, everyone thought and acted in a simi-lar and predictable fashion. We become more complicated and people can no longer be fitted comfortably into the narrow and neatly-defined vision of life that most of us have as we naïvely exit high school.

Experience has taught me that university is full of in-teresting people who can quite literally change the course of one’s life in an instant. However, what nobody ever told me is how much work friendships after high school take. Often the links we form with people here are dictated much by chance meetings and half-incoherent ramblings, which never quite seem to satisfy the ideal picture of meaningful connections we hold in our minds.

Friendship is much more complicated here, with so much more nuance, respect and understanding required. Univer-sity can be one long, awesome party with good friends about whom you know relatively little or it can be an intellectual awakening with people who you share your life outside of the bar.

Either way, whether or not you stay in contact after uni-versity, these friends come to form a major part of your life.At the risk pursuing one to the exclusion of the other, most of our time should be spent on finding a balance between the two.

Rhodes wouldn’t be Rhodes without a few parties that you don’t remember. However, try to bear in mind that it won’t be a university for you either if you think that the only people worth knowing are the ones who seem most comfortable on New Street on a Friday night.

ANC outrage challenges freedom of speechBy Andrew Tudhope

In a live advert released by First National Bank (FNB) during January schoolchildren voiced their hopes for the future, and the challenges they sees facing the country in their lifetime. The ANC, in what can only be described as a knee-jerk reaction, labelled the advert, which was criti-cal of government and some of its members, including Basic Education Minister Angie Motsheka, as “trea-sonous”. They went on to claim that the bank was encouraging youngsters to disrespect their elders and defame key members of government and the ruling party.

Sanctimoniously outraged, ANC spokesman Keith Khoza, appearing on ENCA the Monday after the advert was released, said that the ad was “of-fensive” and that it should be removed permanently from the bank’s website. Such a response makes clear that the ANC’s reaction entirely disregards the notion of freedom of speech, which is so intrinsic to South African society.

Khoza went on to say that most of the children featured had not even been alive in 1994 so they could not possibly know what life was like before the end of apartheid. It must be remembered however, that a vital role was played by the youth that during apartheid, on the very site where the advert was broadcast from – Naledi High School in Soweto.

It is particularly worrying to hear words as “treasonous” being bandied about by leaders of a once-great resist-ance movement – possibly the most successful one in history. Treason is defined as “the offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state

to which the offender owes allegiance; or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power.” It is ludicrous that such a term be applied to an advert voicing the opinions of children; opinions that were gathered from an extensive (including the responses of 13000 students between the ages of ten and twenty-two) and independently run survey.

FNB denounced the statement of Khoza, asserting that, “The allegations of treason are particularly tasteless and we strongly deny that FNB has acted in any manner which gives rise to such malicious allegations.” Its intentions were to provide a platform, “through which we believe, as South Africans, we can use the power of help to make a positive difference in building a stronger, unified, values based nation”.

FNB maintains the belief that the country’s children have an important voice (just as they did in 1976) and are critical to the country’s success. Not to be outdone, the Democratic Alliance commented, stating, “It is most ironic that the ANC would brand this com-mercial an attack on anyone, since the advert actually calls on South Africans to unite for a better future.”

In light of recent debates around freedom of speech, the ability for private entities to make political state-ments and the tendency of the ANC to jump to litigation in the face of criticism, the FNB saga only speaks to already fermenting tensions in South African society.

View the video at:www.youtube.com/user/FNBTV

FNB advertisement causes stir among ANC members. Photo: SOURCED

”Friendship is much more complicated

here, with so much more nuance,

respect and understanding

required- Andrew Tudhope

Features1 February 2013 The Oppidan Press 11

Recreational budgeting 101 How to party smartly and cost effectively during Orientation Week

By Raymond Ndhlovu

Business

Arriving as a new student in O-Week, one may be eager to experience an entirely different nightlife. Should that be the case, here is how to do so smartly and to spend money carefully along the way.

As a first year it is very important that you learn how to budget and use your money wisely. A number of first years spend their money thoughtlessly on nights out and before they know it, are left entirely out of pocket money. When calculating expenses, one might discover that they have carelessly spent

their entire monthly budget, well be-fore textbooks have been purchased.

Second year student Matthew Parry noted how he made such an error during his first year. “I spent almost R2 500 in O-Week just on alcohol!” he said. “At that time I was not even aware of the idea of ‘pre-drinks’ or any such thing. Looking back, I regret spending all that money,” he continued. He went on to encourage first years to be wise about their O-Week spending. “That’s just one week, and afterwards you still have about three more months to go before the first vac,” he said.

One essential part of recreational-budgeting, so as to avoid overspending, is knowing the relative

prices of entrance, drinks and specials at various places.

Well-known partying spots in Grahamstown include the Rat and Parrot (normally referred to as ‘The Rat’), Friar Tucks Pub and Grill (‘Friars’), The Monastery (‘Mon’), Pirates and Prime.

These are usually the places that new students hear about first. However, others include Olde65, SlipStream Sports Bar, Champs Action Bar and Yellow House.

Rhodes University also has its own Rhodes Club, which is situated in the Bantu Stephen Biko Building (Union Building), as well as the Sports Bar, which is located at the astro turf.

In Stock: Hooka Pipes, Flavours, Coals.Smoking papers, Zippo lighters, Water pipes. Silver, Gold and Costume Jewelery. Fancy Dress, Wigs and Stockings.

And much more...

Ultimate Toys and Gifts

Contact: 046 622 7131 (next to Edgars)

A few rules that need to be acknowledged in compliance with the University’s code:

In order to maximise satisfaction at little cost, here are a few rules to partying smart in Grahamstown:

Only take a limited amount of money with you when going out. There is no danger of you over-spending this way.

Certain places charge entrance fees. Work this into your budget.Take advantage of specials. Many establishments offer O-Week

specials. Those will most certainly add to your entertainment while helping to protect your bank balance. PA

RTY T

IPS

By Tsungai Makoni

SciTech

In an age where applications are being developed almost everyday, a number of applications are

currently being designed by Rhodes University in order to make its students’ lives more convenient.

Call centre administrator at Rhodes’ IT department, Elethu Pambo said that, “Apps developed by their depart-ment are there to provide services to academic and non-academic depart-ments that need them.”

The apps that they will be develop-ing will be department specific and these apps will help aid the lecturers and students by making the process of learning more hassle free. The im-provement of learning will be done by having apps that provide departments with the necessary functions to ease the load.

The number of apps being developed is expected to increase with time as the department becomes better equipped and has more services to offer.

Perhaps one of the most interest-ing and relevant apps for university students are timetable apps. These apps allow users to save their lecture timetable on their mobile devices. The app alerts students when it is time to go to certain lectures. A very handy feature in one of these timetable apps, Schedule Deluxe, is its ability to auto-matically turn on and off your phone’s silent mode at the beginning and the end of the lectures.

Common timetable apps that one might come across include A+ Time-table, TimeSpread Timetable, Quick

Timetable, Smart Timetable and, of course, Schedule Deluxe

Office Web Apps allows you to have your entire office tools at the tip of your fingers.

The Office Web Apps’ browser allows you to perform the normal ac-tivities that can be performed on your personal computer’s office apps. These can be used in conjunction with online storage apps.

Online storage services/apps can be used to store, share, backup or transfer files via the internet (part of cloud computing). Cloud computing in a nutshell is performing computer functions with hardware and software through the internet.

Google has become a dominant player in this regard, with its mobile Google Drive app. This app offers standard file storage as well as other useful features such as sharing files with your contacts online.

Another key player in the cloud storage services and apps is Drop-Box. DropBox has similar features to Google Drive. One’s files are available anytime and one can work on docu-ments simultaneously with other users.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) refers to various tools that facilitate the delivery of voice communications and

”

multimedia sessions over the internet. VoIP is not a new concept. Examples of VoIP include Skype and Gtalk for mobile devices. An advantage of VoIP is the convenience of being able to video talk as well as voice call friends and family, especially when you get homesick.

There are plenty more apps out there that can make life at university easier to navigate. If you want to find out more, check out your mobile app store.

Applications designed for student convenience

Here are a few apps that you might find useful during your time at university:

Dictionary.com

Ever Note

TED

Any.DO

Kingsoft Office

Schedule

Deluxe

Apps developed by their department

are there to provide services to academic

and non-academic departments that

need them

Elethu PamboRhodes IT Department

Alcohol may not be brought onto University premises in the first 10 days of term (including O-Week). This

means that no function involving the consumption of liquor may be held during Orientation Week and the first ten days of the first term without the Vice-Chancellor’s permission.

Throughout the rest of the year, only beers, ciders and wines may

be consumed in residences. Spirits such as gin, brandy and vodka are strictly prohibited.

Public drinking on campus is prohibited.

Drinking clubs of any kind involving students on or off campus are prohibited.

Sports

Rhodes University sportsmen and women disappoint at vacation tournaments

By Andrew Tombs

The December vacation was not wasted by the sportsmen and women of Rhodes University, who participated in a number of the tournaments organised by University Sport South Africa (USSA) during the break. Rhodes University students partici-pated in five of the December tournaments, namely: Supa-Pool, sailing, aquatics, tennis and chess.

The Supa-Pool tournament was hosted by Rhodes Univer-sity from 2-7 December. This tournament was open to over 150

students from universities across the country. Out of the ten teams that participated, Rhodes came third.

The sailing tournament was hosted by the University of Cape Town from 3-7 December. The teams raced as per the 2009-2012 International Sailing Federation racing rules. The teams consisted of three double-handed crews. Out of the 4 universities which participated, Rhodes University placed fourth.

The water polo tournament was hosted at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville from3-5 December. The tournament was of a round robin style with four periods of seven minutes each and

followed the standard Fédération Internationale de Natation rules. Out of the ten universities which participated for the men, Rhodes came seventh. Out of the eight universities which participated for the womens, Rhodes came seventh.

The tennis tournament was hosted by the University of Pretoria from 3-7 December. Out of the ten universities that participated Rhodes University placed eighth. The chess tournament was hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan University in Port Eliza-beth between 2 and 6 December. Out of the 22 universities that participated, Rhodes placed 18th.

Plans to redeem Inter-Res sport in 2013By Denzil de Klerk

Throughout the year, students in residence and digs settle their differences on the

university sports fields. The residence sporting schedule allows students to become involved in their residences and to participate in sports they may never have been exposed to otherwise. However, Inter-Residence sports was described by many as being massively disappointing during 2012.

The Rhodes Sports Admin set forth an Inter-Res proposal at the start of 2012. The proposal allowed for fewer sporting codes to be included. Furthermore, the sporting events were to take place over a single weekend per term, rather than being spread out across the term as before. This move decreased the number of sporting codes included in the Inter-Res competition significantly from 26 to 15 codes. This decision resulted in less popular sports such as archery and

water polo being done away with. These changes were met with much

contempt by some of the sports clubs, such as squash, which refused to let there sport be eliminated from the Inter-Res calendar. However most sports representatives seemed happy with the changes, however. Although a number of them admitted that this was simply because it meant that they would have to do less work in organising participants for the sporting events.

These changes were made in order to encourage more support and spectator participation, explained 2012 Inter-Res co-ordinator Andrew Matatu. This was to be an important factor, said Matatu, since more points would be granted to residences with better support. Points for results and participation in the actual sports would be less significant in comparison.

The first two terms saw the new Inter-Res model being implemented, with one weekend in each term dedicated to Inter-Res sporting events.

The result of this new model was that some sports took place at the same time, meaning that in addition to there being a far more limited

opportunity for participation in Inter-Res sport, interested students could not participate in all of the activities on offer. Other concerns expressed included the fact that sporting events were taking place too seldom and that students were no longer given the opportunity to attempt some of the

lesser known sports.In light of such criticisms, drastic

changes were implemented in the second half of 2012, where aspects of the old system were reintroduced.

Contrary to the plans initially made by sporting clubs, a total of 21 sports were scheduled for term 3 and term 4. As a result of this substantial shift, many sport clubs battled to make the necessary adjustments on time.

According to sports representatives, the situation was further aggravated by inefficient communication to Sports Representatives and clubs by Sports Administration.

The sports representative of Botha House, Uvatera Ngatjizeko, felt that he was not informed soon enough about events as well as their times and requirements. “I couldn’t organise enough players because we were sometimes told only a day or two before about what time the sport was and how many players were needed,” he said.

Following the difficulties

encountered during 2012, Head of Sports at Rhodes Mandla Gagayi, sent out an altered proposal for Inter-Res during 2013. In it certain organisational adjustments have been made in the hope that Inter-Res will run more smoothly this year. Events are now to be organised by a committee consisting of wardens, Sports Admin staff and sports representatives. Furthermore, Inter-Res will be divided into two streams – competitive and recreational. Events are to take place irrespective of whether or not sport clubs are involved.

With some of the sports kicking off in just a few weeks’ time, we will have to wait and see if Inter-Res 2013 is the fun, competitive, sociable and learning experience it is designed to be for all those who participate in it. Time will also tell whether or not residences will turn up at sporting events because of an enthusiastic desire to participate and represent their houses, or because of an undesired obligation to do so.

With some of the sports kicking off

in just a few weeks’ time, we will have to wait and see if

Inter-Res 2013 is the fun, competitive,

sociable and learning experience it is designed to be”

How to brave Gtown weather

see page 5

ANC outraged at FNB advert

see page 10

The right party scene?

see page 10