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The Oppidan PressEdition 9, 3 September 2014

Google iswatching you

For the loveof sloths

Intervarsityscontinuity in

question 3 10 11

hoto: KELLAN BOTHA

Boat Race onthe horizon

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News FeaturesTe Oppidan Press 3 September 2014

Prinsloo

oup o rst-year Drama studentspart in a recent survey explor-he possibility o creating aic Drama degree, as opposed to

ying with a BA. Tis is not thetime that the idea has been pro-d but it has yet to be approved by

the Drama Department and theversity due to questions aboutecessity and consequences.idea was rst introduced

e years ago by Pro essor Andrewkland, the current second-yearma Course Coordinator. In orderhe proposal to be considered,

e needed to be an increase in theber o Drama students enrollede subject. Buckland proposed theduction o the Bachelor o Dramaram), a our-year Drama degreeh like the Bachelor o Journalism,der to attract more students.idea sur aced again this year

students took the initiative to

he survey. Afer a meeting held3 August 2014, Buckland andolleagues argued that there weren alls with the implementation o

Dram degree at Rhodes. In orderive the students practical experi-

or the industry], you have tothem in television, radio and liveormance theatre i youre going to

nto a contract that says, heres aee thats preparing you or the in-y, said Buckland. Un ortunately,

Rhodes Drama Department does

not currently have a plat orm that willallow this training.

We dont have television equip-ment. We dont have any staff withthe expertise to teach the students. Sothe University would have to invest

an enormous amount o money [ orlecturers in that eld] i we wantto offer it as a truly vocational degree,he explained.

Te results rom the survey, pre-pared by the Drama students, provided

a dismal response rom current Dramastudents, with only 30 students takingpart. First-year Drama student Jona-than Georgiades developed the recentsurvey or the students to ll out. Ialways wondered why such a reputable

institution didnt already have aspecialist degree in the Per ormingArts (other than a Bachelor o Musicdegree), said Georgiades. Many otheruniversities do, and it works in goodstead or them.

Seventy percent o those who tookthe survey were willing to raise undsto contribute to the implementation o

the degree and the majority wanted tosee the specialised degree introduced.Buckland personally elt that

students need to be able to branchout rom the department. OtherBA subjects can enrich the studentstheatre-making abilities. Ideallythe graduates that leave rom thisdepartment are thinking critically aspeople who are interested in creatinga new theatre, rather than eedinginto the predisposed theatre, saidBuckland.

Te proposal is not expected to beimplemented within the next two tothree years due to the difficulty in- volved in devising a curriculum, which

would have to be passed through theEastern Cape Department o Educa-tion and the South A rican Qualica-tions Authority Board.

However, Buckland believes thatawareness about the proposal canonly be a good thing. I you look atit care ully, its not totally convincingthat everybody wants to do it, saidBuckland. Nevertheless, its on thetable amongst the staff and the moreits brought up, the greater chance ithas o being implemented.

Drama students petition for new degree

A number of Drama students have called for the implementation of a Bachelor of Drama degree at Rhodes but the lackof nances and equipment brings its feasibility into question. PHOTO: CHRIS KEYWOOD

ndi Bombi and Kyle Prinsloo

he nancial strain on academic departments at

Rhodes University has put pressure on learningand the maintenance o resources. Te increased

n has led to various budget cuts and compromiseshave lef many departments within Rhodes strug-g to maintain high academic standards.

Sociology Department is one o the various depart-s that has taken a hit rom the Universitys budgetTis has not only led to the discontinuing o certainrammes, but has also affected the pass rate o studentsin the Department. Te nancial cuts affect theemic project. Anything that happens at the Universitycompromises the academic project can be verylematic, said Pro essor Kirk Helliker, Head o theology Department.hodes has had to make cuts to three major budgetsh in part und the Sociology Department. Tese

gets include the Main Budget or running costs, the

porary eaching Budget and the Student Assistanceary Fund.or us the biggest problem has been with the Student As-

nce budget, said Helliker. Tis budget, used to pay ours, has decreased so much that we cant run an effectiveial programme.lack o unds in this department has resulted in a

ease o tutorials rom six to three a term or rst-yearology students. Tese nancial difficulties are affectingemics because the rst years actually need more time inials, said Sociology tutor shitso Mini. Tree tutorialsm does not allow them the knowledge to think criticallyhis is affecting the pass rate.owever, the Sociology Department is not the onlyrtment in trouble. Te Drama Department is soon toarewell to UBOM!, a project unded by the University.

ough a grant received rom the University to main-

resources within the Drama Department is sufficient,

external projects like UBOM! are no longer viable due to thenancial constraints.

Currently, UBOM! has had to close down due to a lack o

unding. Tis is heartbreaking given the diversity and rangeo input and work UBOM! has offered to the teaching andlearning programme o the Drama Department, but also

or associated community exchange project, said JuanitaFinestone-Praeg, Head o the Drama Department.

Te Rhodes University School o Journalism and MediaStudies (JMS), on the other hand, has turned to externaldonors to und its projects.

Te University does not und any o our projects. Werenot any different than any other department when it comesto grants rom the University, explained AdministrationManager Belinda de Lange.

While the JMS School may have ound a way to ensurethat its projects keep running, many other departmentswithin the University continue to struggle with budget cutsand nding ways to curb the increasing lack o unds.

For us the biggestproblem has been withthe Student Assistance

budget. This budget,used to pay our tutors,

has decreased somuch that we cant run

an effective tutorialprogramme.

Kirk Helliker

Sociology Department HOD

Rhodes departments give in to nancial strain

Insufficient funding has forced many academic departments at Rhodes todownscale this year, such as the Drama department which has had to disband

the popular UBOM! group (pictured). PHOTO: VICKY PATRICK

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News Features3 September 2014 Te Oppidan Press 3

y Corke

t the start o the new semester, the Dean

o Students (DoS) division became theDirector o Student Affairs office. At

nd o last term, all egations were made thateview into the DoS division did not ollowocol.owever, Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Sizweizela said that the review was carried outin the letter and spirit o the policies o theersity. Good practice dictates that oneld continually review different areas o thenisation and this is exactly what happens atdes, said Mabizela.ccording to Head o Human Resources Sarahher, another good practice is to continuallyte how these reviews take place and whatpurposes are. Te University is exploringview processes to try and ensure a more

mlined and ocused process, said Fischer.ollowing discussions held in late 2013 aboutossibilities o moving certain trans orma-work to the Equity and Institutional Culturece, it was decided to review the DoS division.

Te review was also carried out afer the resigna-tion o both the Deputy Dean and Student Servic-es Officer - two key members o the DoS division.

In line with the decision o Senate taken in 2010,the recommendation made by the review com-mittee was that the DoS would be appropriatelyrenamed as the Director o Student Affairs.

While Mabizela said that this change was longoverdue, Dr Vivian de Klerk raised her concernsabout the change o position while she was still atRhodes. De Klerk eared that this would result ina disjuncture between students and the Univer-sity i the Director could not sit on Senate andCouncil. However, Acting Director o Student A -

airs Dr Colleen Vassiliou said that Senate madea ruling in April this year to allow the Director oStudent Affairs to sit on both Senate and Council.

Mabizela added that all parties and stakehold-ers were consulted about the review process andits outcomes, including the ormer DoS who

submitted her input in writing. Vassiliou also saidthat she was consulted in the review and had noknowledge o any breaches in protocol.

Fischer also believed that protocol had beenollowed in the review and the review itsel was

approved by Senate and Council. Furthermore,Fischer said that de Klerks resignation ollowedthe exit protocol that governs this process, despite

the act that de Klerk claimed that she did notreceive the usual exit interview or resigning staffmembers.

Vassiliou recently attended a South A ricanFederation Student Affairs and Service (SAFAS)Con erence, which had only a small number oDeans in attendance. Vassiliou argued that thiswas indicative o the cur rent benchmark beingset by other universities and that the subsequentchange in leadership at Rhodes could only be apositive step.

I you look at the differences in the jobs, itis exactly the same. It is just a difference in thename, said Vassiliou. Te Dean title has theacademic connotations to it, but all the directorsI havemet have been academics.

Mabizela said there was no real differenceto the role because the Director serves on theStudent Services Council and other importantstructures just as the DoS did. Te determining

actor will be whether the name change will affect

the inuence o the position, which Vassilioubelieves will depend on the incumbent.

Te new Division is more ocused and is

cooperating very well with other structures inthe University. More generally, there is a positivespirit, said Mabizela. Te new Division, underits Acting Director Dr Colleen Vassiliou, is per-

orming exceedingly well.

Protocol was followed, says Rhodes The Universityis exploring its

review processesto try and ensure amore streamlined

and focusedprocess.

Sarah Fischer Head of Human Resources

a Stein

varsity began as a way orern Cape universities to have ace to compete with each other onports and cultural elds. It also

ed an opportunity or studentshe participating universities toact with each other. However, as o incidents over the years have

ered with the smooth runninghe event. Te latest issue theponement o this years Intervar- has raised concerns about thets overall viability.2009 the Rhodes University

ncil considered withdrawingdes rom Intervarsity due to mis-viour on the part o the students.

But success ul tournaments in 2010,2011 and 2012, resulted in Rhodescontinued involvement. Now, how-ever, Rhodes participation in utureIntervarsities has once more beenthreatened due to issues o disruptive

student behaviour, with some beingserious enough to threaten the cancel-lation o the tournament itsel .

Last year, the NMMU Intervarsityafer-party saw serious security con-cerns arise afer overcrowding resultedin a stampede. Tis years event hasbeen postponed due to violent studentprotests at the University o Fort HareAlice campus, which was meant tohost the event.

Rhodes SRC Liaison Officer EricO ei does not believe that these issues

have made Intervarsity an impos-sibility. Te incidents [o previousyears] are circumstantial and we needto accommodate or that, O ei said.He also stated that the event is a greatopportunity or the students o each

university to meet. We dont know much about thepeople around us and this is the oneoccasion we get together. Its a gooduni ying thing, he said.

It [Intervarsity] aims to promote,regulate and encourage universitysport in the Eastern Cape amongst allstudents irrespective o race, colour,creed or gender, agreed AssistantManager o Rhodes Sports Adminis-tration Siyabulela Magopeni.

While these positive views o

Intervarsity are valid, the question osecurity is still a major issue that needsto be addressed soon. Additionally, ithas been noted that the cancellation oIntervarsity would not necessarily bedetrimental to Rhodes University.

Te effect [o a cancellation] wouldbe minimal i any. Students will stillbe afforded opportunities to playcompetitive sport through ederations,said Magopeni.

Despite these other opportunities,Intervarsity is still one o the key sport-ing events at Rhodes. Our sportsmenand women play every weekend butnever get support, said O ei. Inter- varsity has ull attendance: it is ourmini World Cup.

Along with the support, participants

eel the benets o competing. Tewhole experience lets you know whois out there, what is out there, saidRhodes Dance Society memberBrandon Haschick. You can compareyoursel to others and see what you

can do.While these are all reasons orcontinuing the event in the comingyears, there is concern surrounding thehosting o this years event.

Te concern arises rom the newlyproposed dates (5 to 6 September2014) or the event.

Rhodes University doesnt have anappetite or the current dates, saidO ei. Many o our sportsmen havealready made plans to go home orthe holidays.

Rhodes involvement in future Intervarsities uncertaito a series of violent protests at the University of Fort Hares Alice Campus this year, and security concerns at NMMU in 2013, the feasibility of Rhodes involvement in the Intervarsity tournament as

nnual event has been called into question. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

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PoliticsTe Oppidan Press 3 September 2014

Phelokazi Mbude

his years SRC elections saw quorum being reachedon the rst day o voting, the rst time in recent

history. Te elections, which took place on 13 20August, resulted in a total o 2919 votes being cast. Manyhope that this reects a changing attitude amongst thestudent body towards the SRC.

Tis is without a doubt the most success ul election wehave ever had, said Rhodes University SRC Liaison OfficerEric O ei.

O ei noted that these elections broke all kinds o records,with both the Grazzle and Presidential Debate surpassingprevious attendance records. All o this translated into a voter turnout o 45.8%. I ofen hear people talk about apa-thy. At the Grazzle we did not see that apathy, said O ei.

It was really exciting just to see that students are inter-ested, are wanting to know what is going on [and] are want-ing to hear what the candidates have to say, added GrazzleChairperson Mathaabe Tabane.

Te increased interest in elections can also be attributed

to the presence o the Independent Electoral Board (IEB),which was established or the rst time at Rhodes last year.Impartial Officer Dr Gustav Muller said, Te essentialingredient or a ree and air election is the creation o anindependent institution to manage those elections. Havingan IEB allowed or the voting process to be taken more seri-ously and to be considered legitimate when voting closed.

Te IEB policy was largely drawn up by 2014 Vice Presi-dent Victor Ma uku, with the assistance o ormer President

Sakhe Badi, Tabane and others. Te policy governs howthe IEB conducts the elections and ensures an open plat-

orm or communication between IEB members and therunning candidates. Because administratively things are

working much better, it means the marketing o our elec-tions is working much better as well, Tabane explained.

In addition, Tabane argued that there was greaterairness in this years elections as each candidate received

a R400 limit or campaigning, which ensured that every can-didate had the same opportunity to market themselves.

Although O ei and other SRC alumni were initiallyconcerned that this years candidates were not campaigningenough, he did believe that their marketing strategies were very good and were the biggest contributor to the success othe elections.

Tabane commented on one marketing strategy o us-ing megaphones around campus, saying that while somedeemed it noise pollution, it was a very creative tool whichcaught students attention. Some students need that loudreminder, she stated.

Despite the campaigning that was going on, there were a

number o students who questioned why they should vote,which O ei ound to be worrying. All elections are a popu-larity contest, said O ei. It depends on you to go and readwhy you are voting or the people you are voting or.

In order to win elections here at Rhodes you need toget numbers, added Ma uku. It is not about the Presi-dential Debate or the Grazzle. What gets the numbers isdirect engagement and [to] balance that with the popularitycontest idea.

The most successful election weve ever had

ly elected SRC Vice President Grace Moyo and President Siyanda Makhuboe SRC Inauguration on 22 August. Photo: HLUMELA MKABILE

SRC for 2015: Plans for continuity and chang

nda Makhubo Presidenta tightly-contested election process, ormer

4 Academic Councillor Makhubo is the newPresident.believe the SRC must be the centre o the

ents, he said. I want to ensure that theents run to the SRC be ore the Director o

ent Affairs and not the other way aroundhas been in the past. Under my leadershiphat o my ellow colleagues, we will ensurethe SRC moves away rom the com ort o

Union building to the students themselves,ar what they want, and assist in what theyire rom us. I must, however, commend the2014 or being a trans ormational SRC, in

they revived many relevant structures. Weas SRC 2015, nd ourselves in a ortunatetion where we have these structures andto execute and implement them or the best

ests o students.

Grace Moyo Vice PresidentAs the outgoing Secretary General, Moyo hadbeen inspired to stay on to continue the work shestarted with the 2013-2014 SRC.

I ound this year that we invested a lot o

time, effort and energy into advancing the workthat previous Councils had done, she said.Running or President was a decision that I

made because it mattered to me that there wascontinuity in the SRC and I wanted to be in aposition to implement some o the ideas we cameup with this year. As a Vice President, whosemandate is to oversee the internal operationso the SRC, I will ocus on ormalising StudentParliament and the SRC Honorarium Documentso that they are incorporated into our Constitu-tion, which is the primary document that in ormsour work.

Zikisa Maqubela TreasurerMaqubela applied or treasurer with ve main

goals in mind. Tree o these are to establish asocietal reserve, a nancial management policyand an advisory board. In conjunction with these,he aims to organise a undraiser to contribute toresolving the current decit in the SRC budgetand to put a more transparent nancial manage-ment system in place.

I was ascinated with what is best or thestudents, he commented. I was hoping I couldcontribute and add value [and] I am humbled bythe act that people think I can add value. I hopeI can be held accountable at the end o my term. Itruly believe we are here to serve you.

Abigail Butcher Secretary General

Butcher is the Secretary o the Rhodes DebatingSociety and is the Community Engagement O -cer at Te Oppidan Press . Afer encouragement

rom Moyo, Butcher made the decision to run orthe post o Secretary-General.

Im not here to change anything big, but Iaspire to motivate the team and to be account-able to the student body and the SRC itsel , saidButcher. As someone who works in media, Iwould say i we can get the media to understandwhat we are capable o we could go a long way because they have the voice and the means toreach students.

e Student Representative Council (SRC) for 2015 was inaugurated on 22 August 2014. The Oppidan Press met with the new Executive

mbers of the SRC to discuss their vision for the year ahead. By Thandi Bombi

Photos: SUPPLIED

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Politics3 September 2014 Te Oppidan Press 5

e the Rhodes community is generally considered to be liberal, several students feel that their peers view themtively for their interracial relationships. Photo: SHEILA DAVID

eigh Dean

A nyone and everyone cannd a home at RhodesUniversity, declaredmer Vice-Chancellor Dr Saleemat, in his address to new studentsng Orientation Week in Febru-Te truth o this statement is ev i-

around campus, as the diversityhis small university is displayedudents wandering betweenres. However, something that

etimes still causes social discom-or some is interracial dating,

h is not uncommon at Rhodes.hodes University is widelywned or its ostensibly progressive

hodology and is seen as anemic institution where differencesmbraced, new ideas areomed, and the weird is seenonder ul.s liberal conception o the uni-ty space very ofen dismisses the

matic racialised experiences some

ents endure. Tese experiencescentre on where students comem, what their economic level is and

they relate to their peers. Areracial relationships indicative o aressive society? questioned Poli-Honours student Fezi Mthonti.ely i we are insistent on tabulat-

how different people relate to eachr, we [must recognise that we] are

or the most part race obsessednot necessarily critical, she added.asthiel Devraj, an Indian student

dating a white student, said that he hasnever experienced negative reactionsat Rhodes. A lot o people say thatwere cute together, and that we have aspecial energy, he said. Tis was ech-oed by Boipelo Noko, whose boy riendis a white Cuban. Its really differ-ent here in Grahamstown, she said.Tere are lots o interracial couples,

and o all kinds. Its nice to see. Whilean inherently positive statement, it stillcreates something special out o inter-racial relationships where couples arearguably etishised as having some-thing different about them, rather than just being two people in a romanticrelationship.

History lecturer Dr Vashna Jagar-nath, who is Indian and is marriedto a white academic, said that herrelationship was accepted within theUniversity but that things were quitedifferent in town, and even more soin her home city o Durban. Whenin town, people ofen do not thinkshe and her husband are a couple, or

think that she is her childs nanny. Shesaid that Durban has more interracialcouples than Grahamstown, whichmade the response quite different.We have markers that give us a pre-determined set o assumptions aboutpeople, Jagarnath said, pointing toexperiences that she has had that il-lustrate the pain ul manner in whichpeople exercise these assumptions. Shespoke o an incident where, when sheand her husband were getting a quote

or something and people arrived at

their house, they asked her i the bosstold her that they were coming, as theyspoke to him on the phone be orehandand deduced that he was white romhis accent.

Aidan OConnor*, a white student,said that while out in the Graham-stown public with his colouredgirl riend, the two received distinct

stares whilst at the BP service station.However, OConnor has also heardsome prejudicial comments rom

ellow Rhodes students. Tey thinkits weird that Im with a coloured girl.Tey said that they wouldnt do it, andthat their amilies wouldnt approve,he said. But they also said that eveni their amilies did approve, theystill wouldnt do it. People shouldntbe thinking like that. As a oreigner,I expected more rom the RainbowNation. Tis was paralleled by MlondiDubazane, whose girl riend is white:It [the discrimination] was difficult todeal with at the time. Were told thatthis is the Rainbow Nation, but thats

just a aade. I you dont accept it, itsne. Just dont look at us like its a sin.Although managing discrimina-

tion o this kind can be challenging,it is clearly possible, though it placesthe burden on the couple rather thansociety, which is decidedly un air.Noko described her typical reaction:I just walk away and ignore it, or Ilook away. I dont want to see it. Its notsomething nice to see.

*Names changed at therequest of sources

hodents: Colour-blind or conservative?

Neo Koza

Gender inequality is recognised asone o eight major socioculturalcauses o high HIV in ections inSouth A rica. Various reportsreveal that the prevalence o HIV/Aids among young women aged20-24 is approximately three timeshigher than among men o thesame age.

Tis can be attributed to whatRhodes University Politics lecturerSiphokazi Magadla re ers to as theproblematic gendered assumptionsand power dynamics that exist in

our own sexual relations.Evidence o such power relations

can be ound in last months decisionby the KwaZulu Natal Departmento Health to supposedly orce emalerecipients o governmental oreignbursaries to have a contraceptiveimplant.

In her Mail & Guardian article,Magadla questioned how muchchoice these young women reallyhad in the matter and interrogatedthe un air responsibility placed onwomens sexual choices or behav-iour, with particular re erence toblack communities.

Magadlas concern was triggered

by the MECs response to why boyson the scholarship were not giventhe option o contraceptives. Teanswer that boys do not have theproblem o alling pregnant showsthat an obvious burden is placedon women when it comes to sexualchoices, and the relatively oppressiveand ear ul approach that is adoptedwhen women are introduced to thesubject o sex.

Ofen or women, the introduc-tion to sex is sex as something thatis dangerous, Magadla said. She

urther agrees that the emphasis isusually placed on the risk o preg-nancy but never around questions

o consent or the power dynamics

that may exist in our romanticrelationships. While pregnancy isan emotional experience, it is thesequestions and dynamics that leavepeople the most vulnerable.

Head Organiser o the Silent Pro-

test, Kim Barker, admits that sex isnever an easy topic o conversationand that the South A rican approachto the matter can be damaging.Because we dont nd it easy to talkabout sex, we dont nd it easy tonegotiate sex, Barker said. Tis hasconsequences when we talk aboutissues o gender-based violence, sheexplained.

Ive grown up in a society whereit was ingrained in our minds atan early age that men are superiorto women. As a result, most o thethings that men do we learn toaccept. When it comes to sexualrelationships, most women do not

have a say in what happens when itcomes to intimacy, said HIV activistand public speaker Ntuthu Mxalisa.

Tis, she believes, is a breedingground or a very twisted orm ogender-based violence that servesas an entry point or HIV in ection.

Tere are so many complexitiesinvolved in the subject which needto be brought to the sur ace. Perhapsi we were to start talking aboutsex openly and hosting SHARCPillow alks or rst years duringO-Week we could make sense othese complexities. Maybe we couldeven begin to empower people o allgender identities to seek equality in

their sexual relationships.

The politics of gendersex and HIV/AIDS

Because wedont nd it easyto talk aboutsex, we dontnd it easy tonegotiate sex.

Kim Barker

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OpinionTe Oppidan Press 3 September 2014

The Oppidan Press staff and contact details

ditor : Amanda Xulu . Deputy Editor : Stuart Lewis . Executiveonsultants : Binwe Adebayo, Kyla Hazell . Managing Editor : Sindisafenqe . Financial Manager : Lorna Sibanda . Advertising Manager : Tarirohunu . Marketing Manager : Sarah Taylor . Community Engagementfficer : Abigail Butcher . Online Editor : Chelsea Haith . Assistant Onlineditor : Liam Stout . News Features Editor : Emily Corke. Assistant Newsatures Editor : Mila Kakaza. Politics Editor : Tarryn de Kock . Opinion

ditor : Ben Rule. Arts & Entertainment Editor : Jenna Lillie . Assistant ArtsEntertainment Editor : Matthew Field . Scitech Editor : Bracken Lee-

udolph . Environment Editor : Mikaela Erskog . Sports Editor: Douglasmith . Assistant Sports Editor : Kimara Singh . Chief Photo Editor :abriella Fregona . Assistant Chief Photo Editor : Kellan Botha . Assistantnline Photo Editor : Ivan Blai. Chief Sub-Editor : Kaitlin Cunningham .hief Online Photo Editor : Alexa Sedgewick . Sub-Editors : Kate Jennings,anica Kreusch, Leila Stein, Jessica Trappe, Amy Wilkes . Chief Designer :adien van der Merwe . Assistant Chief Designer : Hannah McDonald .nior Designer : Amy Ebdon . Junior Designers : Alex Maggs, Amy-Jane

arkess, Sihle Mtshiselwa . External Content Advisors: Tope Adebola,dapwa Alweendo, Lucy Holford-Walker . OppiTV: Chief Editor: Natalieustin . Content Editor : Vimbai Midzi. Output Editor : Lilian Magari.ebcast Producer : Marc Davies . Ombudsperson: Professor Antheaarman .

tters to the Editor: editor@oppidanpress.com

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he Oppidan Press publishes letters which are bona de expres-ons of opinion provided that they are not clearly libellous,famatory, racist or sexist. We publish anonymous letters, but as

n act of good faith on your part, we require your full name. Weserve the right to shorten letters due to space constraints and to

dit them for grammatical inaccuracies. Letters that do not make itto our print edition will be published on our website.

Ben Rule

O pinion editor: What makes people drama kids?Tere also seems to be a bit o a strange incon-sistency in the Drama Department there area bunch o drama kids, but that doesnt seem to extend

to all the people who are academically registered or thesubject. What is the difference between the two?Stewart: I think drama kid is an externally-imposed

label, though I suppose there is a bit o an internal divisiontoo. I think that the students who become known as dramakids tend to be those who become hugely involved in anextracurricular capacity those kids who audition obses-sively and are consistently in per ormances outside o theircoursework. Te amount o time spent sitting outside thetheatre ca smoking might also have something to do withit. In a nutshell, its probably down to visual presence. Itsan interesting label because, unlike gaming geek or jock,it links personal behaviour quite strongly to subject choice,which I do think is reective o the personality type that thesubject attracts.

Drama kids have something o a reputation on campusor being a bit weird or eclectic in style, taste and habits.

Is this a result o nurture or nature (i.e. is it the a@#$%lesbuying the BMWs, or the people buying the BMWs andbecoming a@#$%les)?

I personally think everyone (including BComm kids) isquite odd in their tastes, styles and habits but drama kidsare drilled to be demonstrative in every way and so expresssaid eccentricities a lot more loudly. It becomes a lot morelike a amily, a sa e space where people eel ree to be a bitwacky.

On the ip side, there can be a bizarre air o competi-tiveness as to who can be quirkier. I guess per ormance isessentially about being noticed and people ofen bring thatinto their personal demeanour, which may or may not be

healthy. Im un ortunately not a psych kid, so I cant giveyou a conclusive diagnosis on that one.

Tis drama kid identity seems to be distinct rom therest o campus there seems to be a bit o a separation. Isthat separation purely geographical? Or are there ideo-logical reasons? Why do the drama kids see themselves as

very separate rom the rest o the people here also gettingdegrees? It seems that this is more o a separation romcampus than a lot o the other identities.

I think the nature o the coursework you do when yourein the Drama Department is so vastly different rom that oother departments that its easy to eel like there is a chasmbetween those respective university experiences. In no othercourse will you spend 45 minutes humming to warm upyour voice, or learning incomprehensible choreographicsequences, or writhing around on the oor to loosen yourspine, or learning how to generate eelings rom breathpatterns, or nding 45 different ways to say would you likesome tea, Sam?. Nobody else on campus goes through thesetypes o experiences regularly.

Drama kids tend to come across as rather eccentric andpretentious to other students are we misunderstanding you guys or is there something there?

I think that is certainly true, on a level, but I also thinkthe nature o the course and the industry makes it almost es-sential. When youre an English or a Politics student almostall o your assessment takes place privately between you andthe lecturer. But when you take Drama, your per ormanceis only ever really analysed publically, both or courseworkand extracurricular involvement.

When you audition, its usually in ront o 20 plus people;when you per orm, its ofen in ront o 70-300 people. Itmakes you vulnerable in a very different way and orces youto develop (an illusion o ?) condence. Also I do think wedo just have a lot o naturally exuberant people whose timein the department merely osters such exuberance.

From the Horses Mouth The segment where the Opinion Editor sits down with a horses mouth and gets afew answers. This weeks horse: Drama kids. This weeks mouth: Kelsey Stewart.Kelsey Stewart is currently doing an Honours degree in Drama and has been aDrama kid since she arrived at Rhodes in 2011.

Currently studying towards her Honours degree in Drama, Kelsey Stewart considers the stereotypical drama k id to bean externally imposed label. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

has been a harrowing ew weeks or national and local ANC leadership.esident Jacob Zuma was heckled in parliament by the EFF; the Nationalosecuting Authority was ordered to hand over the in amous spy tapes

hich may incriminate Zuma in corruption charges; and he narrowlyoided another court case only through the good grace o Publicotector Tuli Madonsela. Closer to home, Makana Municipality hasfficially been placed under provincial administration ollowing protests

Grahamstown residents.Te continued unruly tactics by the EFF in parliament have exposed a

gnicant problem with one o our highest governing institutions. Afer dis-pting a presidential question session where they asked Zuma when exactlyintended on paying back the money spent on Nkandla and chanting Payck our money! when his answer wasnt satis actory, they were suspendedom Parliament by National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete.Mbetes actions speak more o a closing o ranks within the ANC around

eir embattled leader and less o a genuine attempt to protect the sanctity Parliament.I we reduce our ability to only speak out through acceptable channels, weso run the risk o silencing a large number o dissenting voices. Acceptedannels o discourse do not always result in any kind o change, especially

nce only certain kinds o discourse are allowed within official channels bye people in power, as demonstrated by Mbete.Tere ore, the EFFs actions, inso ar as they have exposed the malaisethin the National Assembly, are commendable. Tis does not, o course,cessarily mean that we support any o their other actions or policies.However, there are other times when working through established chan-ls does yield results. On Wednesday last week, a cross-section o therahamstown population assembled outside the town hall to demand thessolution o Makana Municipality under Section 139 o the Constitution.Te municipal council, led by Mayor Zamuxolo Peter, accepted themand and passed it on to provincial structures. Te next day the decisionas rubber stamped by national Minister o Cooperative Governance andaditional Affairs Pravin Gordhan.Whether placing Makana under administration will actually have any e -

ect on the service delivery in Grahamstown or merely provide an opportu-ty or looting by provincial politicians remains to be seen, but it proves thattablished practices may work. When they do not, we are orced, like the

FF, to take actions beyond them.Tis edition includes a wrap-up o the recent SRC elections, a critique the alleged privacy that social media plat orms afford us, the power onder assumptions in in ringing on womens sexual rights and a preview oe upcoming Arbour Week.

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Opinion3 September 2014 Te Oppidan Press 7

yn de Kock

Swart gevaar. Nelson Mandela mentions

it in his memoir, Long Walk to Freedom ,as a term arising rom the existing rooi

ar or red threat o Communism. It wasnded and renamed to mean the militantt o the black majority that, in the apart-governments view, necessitated measuresas the State o Emergency and other strictp-downs on black people in South A ricaoid violent reprisal.ith this kind o history, the term is incendi-especially when used in situations wheree are clear racial distinctions and existinggreements. I was still extremely surprised

accused o having the swart gevaar whilementing on a post on the Rhodes SRC Face-k page.y reactions were, in this order:

Was it something I said? I realised that I hadharsh, but racist?

Was the comment merited? it because my white digsmate is in the centre

my prole picture, and were always laughingt how white people are the ussiest commen-s on internet orums, so maybe they thought

was me?comment set off alarm bells in that, while

erm used was not common or Rhodes, theative behind it was all too common. Southcan political debates have a tendency tokly dissolve into personal attacks, espe-y when questions are asked that people arele to answer. Sometimes the inability to

wer those questions gives rise to unnecessar-arsh responses that reveal the cracks in our

democracy. When people dare to disagree, theyare vilied or it and the quality o their person-hood is reduced to the merit o their ideas (and

the ideologies behind them).At the recent protest against the Makana

municipality, Ayanda Kota o the UnemployedPeoples Movement remarked that we shouldnot con use people with ideas, pointing outparticular placards held by crowd members thatwere especially disdain ul towards the ANCand President Jacob Zuma. In her each-Indiscussion earlier this year, academic SisonkeMsimang mentioned that South A rican politicsis governed by the per ormance o particularidentities that people can then relate to, such asZuma, who Msimang argued represented theschool o hard knocks.

Tis tradition o personalism, and o the statusand currency afforded to charismatic party lead-ers, has also collided with the tradition o ear

that has been the norm in South A rica sinceracial and political divisions became the ounda-tion on which our society was built. In 1998 theANC quipped that [t]he swart gevaar and rooigevaar, now devoid o their previous menace,have mutated into the two-thirds gevaar, point-ing to the ears o the then-Democratic Party andNational Party that the ANC party might securethe majority in the 1999 elections. It didnt.

At the most basic level o a university SRC,this politics o ear and swart gevaar weredeployed to reduce genuine concerns about a very contentious campaign to an argument aboutwhether I was a raid o a black person becominga member o the SRC. Being accused o racismis pain ul when you know what racism eels like.Being accused o it because you questioned the

validity o a political campaign is a sure sign thatthe way we think about our political belie s isbecoming increasingly reductionist, reactionaryand categorised.

Tere is a serious need to interrogate the di -erence between ideas and people, something that

will admittedly take a long time because o ourcountrys history o associating particular ideaswith particular kinds o people. Tat, however,is no excuse or not being cr itical human beings,

especially in a space where we are constantly con-ronted by differing political ideas and opinions.Not everyone who disagrees with you is an

enemy. Tey may have a problem with yourideas, not with you as a person. Not everyonewho agrees with you is a riend i they dontunderstand why you stand or what you do. Te

act that an innocent question about postersdissolved into a massive and angry debate iscause or concern.

wart gevaar part of new South African politics

Rule

RC is the student government.are the executive, akin to thenal cabinet. It is undamentally

ortant that they are able to unc-collectively. I there are com-ication breakdowns between the

cillors or port olios, the entirecil will be affected.importance o this collective

onsibility and unctioning is theon that our Constitution allows theutive to be selected by the presi- How the cabinet members will

k together is a crucial considera-in this selection.ur political system at Rhodesa bit differently to that o ournal government, however. Weour cabinet. We do this on a

position-by-position basis. Given ourelections are ramed as om vs Dick vs Harry or the position o SecretaryGeneral and Beavis vs Butthead orthe position o Academic Councillor,it is an impossibility o our system orthe electorate to consider that although

om and Beavis might be best or their

respective positions, they will be un-able to unction alongside each otherin a team. Our voting system leavesus unable to consider the broaderimplications o our decisions abouthow the people we elect will representus collectively.

Many o us have witnessedthis problem rst-hand with themicrocosms o the SRC on campus:house committees. Te majority ohouse committees on campus areelected on a position-by-position basis

in the same manner as our SRC. Anda perennial problem is breakdownin communication between housecommittee members, usually orpersonal reasons.

Im not proposing a system change it would be very difficult or anSRC to have legitimacy without the

popular mandate which is providedby elections. But we as a student bodydo need to understand that the risk oour SRC having personality clashes tothe point o dys unction is a systemicrisk, inherent in the way our studentgovernance is established. Whilepro essionalism is to be expected romcouncillors, some combinations opeople just work together better thanothers. Whether our SRC is one suchcombination will always be a matter ocomplete luck.

SystemicRisk ofClashes?

A comment thread on the Rhodes SRC Facebook page dissolved into a racially-charged exchange.Photo: SUPPLIED

current SRC electoral system at Rhodes does not account for possible personality clashes between elected individuals. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

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EnvironmentTe Oppidan Press 3 September 2014

Has Arbour Week become arbitrary?on Lutchman

Arbour Day was started in theUnited States o America as a

day o environmental restitu-or mass de orestation. Since its

ption in the 1870s, it has becomerldwide event with South A rica

brating an entire Arbour Weekm 1-7 September.rbour Day looks to create aware-about the importance o main-ng indigenous tree populationswhat they have to offer theirelands. South A ricas Arbourk also places emphasis on theortance o maintaing indigenouspopulations.outh A rica rst held an Arbourin 1983. However, the importanceees and their benets not only

e economy but to the health oenvironments soon prompted995 Ministry o Water Affairs andstry to extend the event to a week-affair.

ational Arbour Week has sincesomed around South A rica,

mpting people rom various so-conomic backgrounds to bandther and plant trees. Communitiesncouraged by the Department

Agriculture, Forests and FisheriesFF) to plant selected tree specieshave been designated as tree oear.ree o the year highlights two spe-trees: one common and the other

Te common tree or 2014 is the

Lavender ree or Laventelboom (Ge-nus Heteropyxis) a semi-deciduoustree known or its adventurous roots.Te rare tree is the mighty yet beauti-

ul White Ironwood or Witysterhout(Vepris lanceolata ).

While Rhodes policy duringthis particular week is to promoteawareness or the need to plant andmaintain indigenous trees throughoutSouth A rica, especially or the manydisadvantaged communities who ofenlive in barren areas, there seems tobe very little public engagement at the

University.

Te Rhodes University Grounds andGarden section plants indigenous treesin honour o retired staff members.Te section hopes this will promotea better understanding o indigenoustrees as well as highlighting theirimportance in relation to sustainabledevelopment and livelihoods o peopleand their enviroments.

As environmental awareness in-creases in public spaces, moves needto be made towards insitutionalisingcampaigns such as re orestation.

Visit http://www.ru.ac.za/environ-

ment or more in ormation.

Pot plant companionsLauren Buckle

Indoor plants can be great company. While Head o the Botany Depart-ment Pro essor Susanne Vetter considered the main benet o indoorplants to be aesthetic, another argument is that the scent generated bycertain plants has a ca lming and energising effect. Te ollowing plantshave been identied as having specic qualities that could improve onesliving space and have been rated according to the level o maintance.

Bonsai reeBonsai trees are believed to havethe ability to help puri y the airand assist in reducing illnessessuch as colds. Te maintenance in- volved in keeping a Bonsai tree is extremelyhigh as students will need to monitor theplants water consumption, pruning

and soil ertility. However, this main-tenance is popularly seen as therapeu-tic and the constant amount o care isbelieved to increase peoples patience.

A rican VioletTe soothing colours o the owersencourage the release o endorphins

which can ease stress levels and assistwith creativity. Tese plants need to beplaced in good but indirect lighting andrequire constantly damp soil. Te plant

owers at irregular times throughout theyear and is available in various colours

with different lea shapes.

Peace LilyPeace Lilies are low maintenance plants thatcan grow in poorly lit rooms, although theyare known to thrive in bright, lteredlight. Te plant produces per umed ow-ers that create a relaxing ambiance and theplant assists in puri ying the air as it canabsorb airborne pollution. Te Peace Lilycan grow up to over a metre tall.

Snake PlantTe Snake Plant improves sleep as it

mostly converts carbon dioxide intooxygen during the night. Tese plants are

extremely tough and can withstand mostconditions, although they thrive in warmerclimates. Te Snake Plant grows best inbright but ltered light and does notrequire much water.

CactiTese plants are extremely low maintenance asthey only require water about once a month.Cacti grow best when placed in direct sun-light. Te Christmas Cactus is specicallyknown or its ability to puri y about twice asmuch air as most other plants. Tis reducesthe amount o air pollution and in turn mayprevent people rom getting sick.

In 1995, South Africa began to celebrate Arbour Week in an effort to raiseawareness for the importance of conservation of indigenous, water-saving

trees, though participation at Rhodes remains limited. Photo: BRONWYNPRETORIUS

Get nurtured by nature walksBarras-Hargan

amstown is a hub or biodiversity, especially ins o its plant and tree li e. With summer almost heren the spirit o National Arbour Week, we should takee trees and appreciate the natural world.s busy students, we ofen do not have the time to ap-ate the simple pleasures o our immediate naturalronment. However, given the levels o stress that arise

m academic pressures, scientic studies by the Interna-

l Union o Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO)urage people to make more time or outdoor activities.UFRO study stated: Blood pressure, heart rate, muscleon and the level o stress hormones all decrease astertural settings. Depression, anger and aggressiveness areced in green environments.study eatured in the Journal of Affective Disorders ted to memory and concentration-related advantagesed to the outdoors. Participants o a 2012 study thated in a natural environment experienced a 16% in-

se in their working memory in comparison to partici-s who underwent the trial in an urban environment.ere are ve tree hotspots in Grahamstown, as well asdistinguishing eatures and various traditional uses.

he next time you nd yoursel eeling stressed, go take aon the wild side.

caranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)tion: Te Cathedralnguishing eatures: all deciduous tree up to 20mmauvish-blue owers blooming rom September to

ember.: Generally used ornamentally and or shade but hasbeen used or dyeing and in medicine. Much like the

ous legends at Rhodes University, in Pretoria it is saidi a jacaranda ower lands on a university students, they will pass all o their exams.

ommon Wild-Fig (Ficus burkei)tion: Between the Clock ower and Eden Grove.

Distinguishing eatures: Very large tree up to 40m withaerial roots and hairy, yellow gs.Uses: Figs are one o the largest ood sources or a variety obirds such as hornbills, bulbuls and barbets. Also, the sofwood and milky latex that characterise the tree were at onepoint used in the production o Egyptian mummy caskets. 3. Coast Cora l- ree (Erythrina caffra)Location: Past the entrance o the Union as well as allaround town and campus

Distinguishing eatures: Deciduous tree up to 18m tallwith broad, orange-scarlet owers that bloom betweenOctober and November.Uses: Although the lucky beans are ofen made intonecklaces, they all contain some orm o toxin and insome species it can result in atal poisoning. Tese seeds,as well as the leaves and bark, are used medicinally incertain cultures and the wood can be used to create shingnet oats. 4. Mountain Cedar ( Mountain Cypress or Cape-Cedar )Scientic Name: Widdringtonia nodioraLocation: Surrounding the university ountainDistinguishing eatures: all deciduous tree reachingheights o 45m in some cases with column-like growth in juvenile years. With age, it spreads its branches and pro-duces 2.5cm spherical cones.

Uses: Te ragrant wood produced by the tree is used toconstruct huts and keepsakes and can be grown into a lovelyChristmas tree.

5. ree Aloe (Aloe barberae)Location: Behind the Drama departmentDistinguishing eatures: all tree up to 22m with darkgreen leaves cluttered at the end o branches. Flowers arepink with green tips blooming in April and July.Uses: It is usually an ornamental tree due to its unusualshape and beauti ul owers. Also, when occurring in theEastern Cape and KZN, the tree ofen aces east, which is ause ul tool or hikers and other travellers. Illustrations: MADIEN VAN DER MERWE

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Environment3 September 2014 Te Oppidan Press 9

Barras-Hargan

Almost everyone has expe-rienced loneliness to somedegree but now, with betweenand 2000 extinctions occurringally in the plant and animaldom, we are moving towards theiest state we have ever known.

owever, Albany Museumarcher Dr Dez Weeks eelsthere is still some hope. Hisographic series titled On theo the Eremozoic - Te Age

oneliness consists o 26 plantaits and is currently beingayed in the Albany Museum.ks hopes that the exhibition willre viewers in a way that willlate to a desire to conserve the

ral environment.his 2006 book Creation , iconic

ogist E.O. Wilson stated, Te hu-hammer having allen, the sixth

s extinction has begun.s spasm o permanent loss iscted, i it is not abated, to reach

the end-o -Mesozoic [dinosaur era]level by the end o the century. We willthen enter what poets and scientistsalike may choose to call the EremozoicEra Te Age o Loneliness.

In previous times, there have beena great number o mass extinctions,one o which wiped out 90% o theplanets species.

However, these extinctions werecaused by natural phenomena such asmeteorites colliding with the Earth,or the increased acidity o the Earthswater supplies.

Tis is the rst time that a massextinction may occur as the result othe detrimental actions o one species:humankind.

Weeks was intrigued by Wilsonshypothesis. He argued that any speciesable to evolve to the extent that its useo surrounding resources could lead toextinction was ascinating.

We are leaving the world now withuture ossil records o glass bottles,

batteries and car tyres: the only marko humankind, remarked Weeks.

Lauren Buckle and Dillon Lutchman

Te recent water shortages in Grahamstown have high-lighted the instability o the water supply in South A rica,and the need to seek out alternative water sources. One

such alternative supplier is ound within the rising indus-try o desalination.

Tis is a process whereby sodium chloride (salt) in seawa-ter is removed or separated rom hydrogen oxide (water) viascientic methods in order to produce clean and drinkable

resh water. Desalination can take place via thermal distilla-tion, reverse osmosis or electrodialysis.

One o the biggest seawater desalination plants in SouthA rica was created in Mossel Bay as a response to the 2010drought in the southern Cape. Te R210 million projectsupplies up to 10 million litres o uncontaminated waterper day to the Mossel Bay Municipality and 5 million litreso water per day to PetroSA. Te Bushmans River mouthnext to Kenton-on-Sea also has a desalination plant that issupposed to supply up to 800 000 litres o water per day tothe local municipality.

However, despite the act that desalination makes use o

the seemingly innite resource o ocean water, it is not anentirely sustainable process. Desalination has a negativeimpact on the environment as it ofen exacerbates the de-struction o natural habitats and ecosystems which in turneradicates coastal and marine li e orms.

Senior Marine Ecologist at Ezemvelo KwaZulu-NatalWildli e Santosh Bachoo expressed concerns about thedisposal o the processs discharge brine. Te brine which isproduced rom the desalination process is extremely high insalt content. I this is pumped into river systems and estuar-ies (which are partly salt water) it will change the delicatesalinity levels causing negative effects on both [inland] shand plant li e, elaborated Bachoo.

Bachoo also pointed to possible problems acing con-struction o desalination plants. Te amount o upkeep and

money needed or a desalination plant is very high, saidBachoo. o make up costs or the water being produced,

it will cost a large amount more than the current tap waterthat people receive.

Furthermore, Bachoo suggested that the process obuilding a plant has risks. Due to the high energy levelsproduced by waves on the KZN coastline, the piping whichneeds to go ar out to sea is a somewhat risky process, heexplained. Tis may also be applicable to the desalinationplant at Kenton-on-Sea, as rough seas and wave activityhave always been a threat to its unctioning.

While desalination creates a new and sa e source o wateror human and plant consumption, the risks surrounding

the desalination process need to be weighed up against thesocial demand. What is more, the requent pairing o theterms sustainable and technology requires greater scrutinyby experts and citizens alike.

Sea minus salt an alternative water resourc

Despite drawing on the seemingly endless supply ofocean water to produce fresh water, the desalination pro-cess has proven harmful to surrounding ecosystems, suchas coastal waters and estuaries. Photo: SUPPLIED

The age of lonelinessawns on humankind

the cusp of the Eremozoic The Age of Loneliness is a series by Dr Dezks, who seeks to photograph endangered plants like these pictured abovere they vanish . Photos: SUPPLIED

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ScitechTe Oppidan Press 3 September 2014

The omniscient online eyeley Prior

Social media has become a standard parto most students lives. While many usersmay be reluctant to share personal detailso the stranger danger inherent to these the bigger issue has become the in orma-

that the sites require users to disclose.dward Snowdens exposure o the NSAs wide-ad public monitoring systems in the Unitedes has shown that privacy on the internet isly a arce. Te act that social media giants,as Facebook and Google, have been using

ic monitoring systems or years lends cre-e to this idea.privacy policies o Google and Facebook

ire that users allow them to collect in or-on about them, including details about the

ce on which their services are being used.n the contents o the device are not sa e: thebook and Facebook Messenger Android appsrequire access to contacts and messages.le these are arguably necessary details or thecation, it can be quite alarming when youider how much in ormation to which thepany has access.upposedly, these companies endeavour to pro-your privacy by hiding anything that you dowant to be visible. However, ormer Rhodesrer and current Senior Lecturer at the Capensula University o echnology in the eld

New Media Jude Mathurine does not believee sites do enough to protect your privacy, andany cases can actually do the opposite.

Tere is no absolute online privacy o any

- regardless o what kind o permissions

social networks provide, said Mathurine. Teaggregated data o social network users may besold or traded to give organisations - rom politi-cal lobbyists to media companies - a better idea othe market. South A rica has passed the Protec-tion o Personal In ormation Act to regulate local

institutions, Mathurine added. [But] regulating

oreign entities like Google and Facebook ismuch more challenging.

Mathurine explained that while ensuringthat your in ormation is not entirely visible tothe public is important, users should also bemind ul o the organisations storing and using

their in ormation. He specically re erenced the

permissions granted to smartphone applicationsand personal details that users put on Facebook.

Closer to home, Rhodes University can also

track your online usage. Everything you do onthe Rhodes network goes through the Rhodesservers. Te nature o a server is to control theow o in ormation, so the University can use thisin ormation to en orce the Acceptable Use Policyset up as a prerequisite or using the network.

Tese tracking abilities means that your use owebsites such as Te Pirate Bay (a Swedish lesharing website) and programs like orrent orillegally downloading or sharing lms, can bedetected and traced.

So, next time you consider making an inap-propriate post on Facebook or accessing a websiteo questionable repute, remember that your ano-nymity is only as secure as the applications thatyou have granted permissions to, the details youhave shared on social networks and the server

hosting your connection.

There is no absoluteonline privacy of any

kind - regardless ofwhat kind

of permissions socialnetworks provide.

- Jude Mathurine , SeniorLecturer at Cape Peninsula

University of echnology

South Africas Protection of Personal Information Act does not prevent international sites likeGoogle from tracking your online movements. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ken Lee-Rudolph

rtphones and laptops aressities among students in thecentury. While cell phone callse can become quite expensiveSMSs have become incrediblyated, students have turned to thenet or cheaper, more interactive

munication.ese programmes are run throughse o voice-over-internet protocolP) and instant messaging (IM)ices. Tese services allow usersnd and receive audio and videoms, as well as text-based mes-s, over the internet. Tey arearily computer-based, but mostlso supported by smartphones and

ets.kype is one such service - a VoIPnt that allows users to send and re-e audio and video calls rom usersheir contact list. Skype is a simple-e and undemanding PC applica-available or ree via the official

site or the respective app stores orile operating systems (OS).om a technical perspective, a web-and microphone (both o whichncluded on standard laptops)equired to make video calls onI you need an external webcam,ever, webcams with embedded mi-hones can be ound at most onlinelers and I shops - such as Insightthe Rhodes I Shop. mobile Skype apps are quite

peramental, however, as they

depend largely on the device used.Skype Mobile, whether on phone ortablet, requires the device to be able tosupport continuous video streaming(which many low-end mobile proces-sors struggle with) and have a ront-

acing camera or video chat.Alternatively, Google has their own

VoIP and text-based messenger called

Google Hangouts. Te service is avail-able to anyone with an active Googleaccount (Gmail and Google+), andacross PC, iOS and Android plat orms.

On PC, Hangouts runs through abrowser instead o a desktop ap-plication, and has a larger ocus ontext-based messaging. Te mobile appis very resource-light, especially incomparison to Skype.

Being a Windows-owned company,Skype is optimised or Windowsphones and tablets and will run beston higher-end Windows devices.However, the Android app also runscapably on more power ul devices us-ing the Google-developed OS.

Te iOS apps or Skype and Hang-outs run well, but i you are usingan Apple device (Mac, iPod, iPad oriPhone), it would be better to useFace ime. Face ime is Apples original video calling client, which is opti-mised or the companys iOS and OSXdevices. It ullls a similar role to thato Skype, albeit without the IM serv iceor group calling.

Tese programs do have their down-sides, however. Te rst is that videostreaming and broadcasting is heavy

on data usage. As such, using the mo-bile applications when not connectedto WiFi is inadvisable, especially iyou are on a contract with limiteddata. Te second issue is the limited

technical options. Tese programmesare all very simple to use, but nonecome with particularly comprehensivemicrophone or camera control - handyservices which would be used to cutout background noise (especially nec-essary in residences) and tweak picturequality.

However, these are only minorgripes. VoIP clients are excellent orlong-distance communication andonly slightly more difficult to use thana elkom phone.

Face-to-face, far away from home

The increasing popularity of smartphones and social-apps means studentstoday are more connected than ever before. Photo: SHEILA DAVID

These services[voice-over-

internet protocoland instantmessaging]

allow users tosend and receiveaudio and video

stream, as wellas text-based

messages, overthe internet.

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Sports

Record-breakingelections reviewed

Thinking greenfor Arbour Week

21st centurySwart Gevaar4 87

ammad Hussain

C ricket season was set to startthis past weekend with therst round o the Rhodesnal Premier League (RIPL).

matches were postponed, butast-paced, action-packed

nty20 tournament is in its sixtho existence, and RIPL Officer

d Kruger is condent that theect preparation has gone into

ring another success ul seasonricket.

Everything is on track, with allt teams as well as their kits andds pretty much sorted, said aed Kruger. He also mentionedthe grounds and pitches, which

maintained by Rhodes, are lookingd and should be t to host thenament. One remaining problem,ever, was coming up with the

unding or kits as teams struggled tond sponsors in time.

It was quite disappointing this yearas we werent able to get a sponsorin time, said Danger Mice CaptainReinhardt Arp. We might have to uselast years kit. Despite this setback,Arp was positive in his outlook on thetournament. We came third last year,losing to the Awkward urtles in thesemi-nals, but this year we want tomake it to the nals, obviously, or at

least second.Last year crowds were hard to come

by with only one game standing out interms o considerable crowd support.However, Kruger said the players havenot been deterred by this because thereis always pride at stake, along with theRIPL trophy. On top o that, a caseo beer or the victors goes a longway to ostering a competitive at-mosphere. Cricket at Rhodes is just

growing. With more and more expo-sure to the tournament, more peoplewill get involved and hope ully it willget as big as Internal League Rugby,Kruger said.

Last year the Awkward urtlesclinched the coveted title by beatingthe then newly- ormed Mighty Hedge-hogs in the nal. Te Honey Badgersare this years new team and in light othe Hedgehogs success last year, theywill be eager to impress.

Te eld is more open this year asmost o the teams have good players.It will be quite even this year as thereis no clear-cut avourite, said Kruger.Most o the games will take place dur-ing the day, in comparison to last yearsmany night games.

Matches will be played on GreatField and Prospect Fields with thenals expected to be played on theweekend o 25 September.

Rhodes Cricket returns

Brandon Yates

Standing 1.8 metres tall and weighing in at 106 kilograms, Chris Whitingis an imposing and intimidating presence. However, his relaxed attitude,warm smile and engaging personality go a long way towards challengingthe stereotype associated with his herculean physique.

2014 has been a year to remember or Whiting, as it has marked his rstattempt to juggle his academic and sporting committments at university.However, he has managed to balance his social li e and studies well enoughto continue playing sport.

Earlier this year, Whiting was drafed into the Rhodes University 1st XVrugby squad a rare achievement or a rst-year student. Troughout theyear, he produced eye-catching per ormances through his power ul scrum-maging, rucking, line-out lifing and bone-crunching tackles. Tis resultedin him being awarded a call-up to the Eastern Province u19 Currie Cupsquad. He is the only Rhodes player to earn a provincial call-up this year.

Whiting admitted that he has been surprised by his own success. I neverplanned to play rugby afer high school. I played a bit or Rhodes and knewthe u19 EP coach rom a coaching clinic I attended at school. He watched agame o mine and asked i I would join the squad, explained Whiting.

It all started or Whiting with u9 club rugby in Johannesburg. Following inthe ootsteps o his ather and grand ather, he then moved to Michaelhouse.It was there that his sporting prowess was discovered, as he played lock inthe schools A-teams until u16.

By Grade 10, Whiting noticed that he had to make a ew changes and worka little harder in order to break into the Michaelhouse 1st XV the ollowingyear. Tere was plenty o competition at lock. Between Grade 10 and 11,

I worked really hard in the g ym to gain size to become a prop. My coachesalso gave me a gym programme and nurtured my change in position, Whit-ing said.

Te change proved to be a masterstroke, as Whiting played in theMichaelhouse 1st XV or two years. He heaped praise upon some o the big-gest supporters and mentors that have guided him over the years. My dadhas always been my biggest supporter and he drove me to achieve. RobbieKempson is a guy I have also learned a lot rom as he was a world-class propin his day, said Whiting.

Tis year has presented the young orward with his rst taste o provincial

Whiting earns EP rugby call-u

First-year student Chris Whiting was drafted to the Rhodes University 1stXV team earlier this year. Photo: VICKY PATRICK

glas Smith

he sprint season comes to a close,Rhodes University Rowing ClubRC) is now turning its attentione most talked-about long-courset o the year. Boat Race will seeths o effort, planning and emo-pulling rowers through a gruel-6km race held at Kowie River,Al red.oat Race is a highlight in many

des students calendars, buten seen only as one o the mostipated parties o the year. Howev-

he RURC does not think this is thereason Rhodes students should beed about the upcoming event.

URC President Jedrick Teronves that every one o the Rhodess has a chance o winning medalseir respective races. However, he

Gold medals are what we want, butit all depends on what happens on theday, said Teron. We race as well aswe can, though.

Boat Race usually takes place overthe September vacation, but this yearsevent is set to take place on the rstweekend o the ourth term rom 18 to20 September. Mens 1st VIII CaptainScott Walraven is counting on Rhodesstudents to come out in their numbersto support the club, which is expecting

good results. He emphasised the actthat the mens 1st VIII includes sevenrowers that took part in last years raceand that this could be a deciding actorin the outcome o this years race. Weare one o the ew varsities that arewalking into Boat Race with that kindo experience, said Walraven.

Aside rom having a good mixtureo experience and energetic new-

pro essional rowing set-up at theUniversity o Sydney, Holliday hasbrought a new style o rowing that hasproduced encouraging results so ar.

It has been a long campaign, but very positive, said Holliday. Temens 1st VIII has really come alongsince sprint season and the long-termprospects are looking good. However,he admitted that the long distancerace will be the real challenge. I theguys hold a good ratio and commit

to every stroke, I believe they can putthemselves into a good position or thenals, he said.

Holliday also made mention o theact that the ladies crews have made

tremendous progress this season,despite having started with a airlynovice group o athletes. Both crewsstill need to nd some speed, butthere is still time to do so, explained

RURC condent ahead of Boat RaceRC coach, Chris Holliday, advises rowers at Settler s Dam in preparation for boat races in the fourth term.

o: KELLAN BOTHA