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The Oppidan Press

Edition 1, 7 February 2015

Cover design: HANNAH MCDONALD

The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

News Features

Meet your Director of Student Affairs: Dr Vassiliou M

Leila Stein

ne of the important administrative

changes that Rhodes University faced
last year was the resignation of then
Dean of Students Dr Vivian de Klerk. Dr Colleen Vassiliou, who was Manager of Student
Wellness at the time, was appointed Acting
Director of the department under its newlyminted moniker of the Division of Student
Affairs. The Oppidan Press sat down with
Vassiliou to find out more about her and her
plans for Rhodes students.
Before joining the Rhodes staff, Vassiliou ran
her own private psychology practice for a number
of years. Prior to that she obtained her BA in
Mathematics and Psychology, Honours in Psychology and Masters in Counselling Psychology.
She went on to teach high school mathematics
before completing her doctoral studies.
Vassiliou started working at Rhodes University in 2009 as Manager of Student Wellness, a
position she remains passionate about even as
the Acting Director of Student Affairs. I have
a specific interest in young adults, explained
Vassiliou.There is a different amount of difference you can make in peoples lives when you are
placed in an institution.
Vassiliou heads a department that is a newcomer to the University administration. In 2014,
the long-standing Dean of Students position was
removed and replaced by the Division of Student
Affairs. Vassiliou has created a five-part plan
for the new division. This plan covers academic
excellence, promoting a wellness approach to life,
valuing diversity, raising environmental awareness and supporting community engagement.
[With regard to academic excellence] there
has been a divide between student support and
academic excellence. There has been a divide between support and the academic project and that
gap needs to narrow, Vassiliou explained.
While there is an increased focus on bridging
the academic gap, the responsible drinking campaign for which the previous Dean of Students
division was so well known is being adapted to
the new framework. Although the Division of

Family is very
important
to me. Im
very much
a mommy
to my two
daughters.
Dr Colleen Vassiliou,
Director of Student Affairs

Student Affairs is not continuing the previous

responsible drinking campaign, Vassiliou urges
students to incorporate responsible drinking into
their wellness approach to life.
With a wellness approach to life, having
to make sure you are physically, emotionally,
socially, academically and spiritually well, I
have a very keen interest at looking at substance
abuse, she explained. If youre approaching your
life from a wellness perspective, youre going to
monitor how much you drink since it will affect
your functioning.
In her personal life, Vassiliou embodies the
core values of living a well-rounded life. Her hobbies include reading, exercise (such as walking
and golf) and creative expression through her
mosaic work. Her passion for wellness among
students can also be seen in her love for her husband and two daughters. Family is very important to me, she said. Im very much a mommy
to my two daughters. Dr Vassiliou added that she
also enjoys spending time with her parents who
live nearby.
Vassilious message for students in 2015 is to
find balance. I love the part [in the Karate Kid]
where Mr Miyagi says: When balance is good
everything is good, but when balance is bad you
can pack up and go, she said. She added that she
hopes students will use this as a mantra and take
everything in moderation.

Dr Colleen Vassiliou was appointed Director of Student Affairs last year after the resignation of
former Dean of Students, Dr Vivian de Klerk. Photo: SOURCED

Booze or books, brain or body: finding the balance

Thandi Bombi
Once you fully embrace becoming a
Rhodes student the idea of patriotic
purple is easily adopted through
participating in all the pastimes
Rhodes University has to offer. With
activities ranging from societies,
sports, socials and Rhodes nightlife
it is easy to lose focus on the real reason for attending Rhodes University,
forfeiting academic success in
the process.
Balancing mental and physical
aspects of university life is a lesson
worth learning sooner rather than
later to ensure a stable lifestyle. Being
in varsity is one big balancing act,
said student manager at Prime and
Olde 65 Awongiwe Mabutyana. It is
where you learn to juggle the multiple
aspects of your life without dropping
the ball.
Although social and academic
aspects are the ones prioritised by
students, physical well-being plays an
equally important role in a healthy
lifestyle. It is so important to exercise
whilst at varsity, said former Prince
Alfred House sub-warden Julie
Geldart. It helps maintain a balance

New and returning students will have to face a year-long balancing act in 2015 between academia and health on the
one hand and recreation on the other. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
because when you exercise you feel
the need to be all round healthier.
Geldart went on to add that to attain
her degree she placed academics
first while other aspects of her life,

such as gym and relationships,

came second.
With events like the Great Field
party and Intervarsity not to mention
the assortment of bars and nightclubs

in Grahamstown, it is not difficult to

see how priorities can confused. Its
easy to get carried away with the
social aspect of your balancing act
and the consequences can be dire,

said Mabutyana.
That, however, is not the only way
students can skew their balancing
beams. It can be just as easy to get
caught up in their academics. If you
work excessively, that leads to stress
and can have a negative effect on you,
whether its insomnia, low immunity
or even homesickness, said Geldart.
The costs of that are that the students
marks and general lifestyle deteriorates, she added.
Leading a balanced life is important
not only for the individual concerned,
but also for those around them.If you
are living in a res situation, youre all
living together essentially and what
you do can impact those around you,
said Geldart. Friends also create support systems for those around them
and can be affected by a deterioration
of their lifestyles too.
While the university balancing act is
one that can be overwhelming to think
about, planning and prioritising can
make all the difference. Its important
to get into a routine, said Geldart. By
aiming to go to the gym a few times a
week, and having a timetable for work
and socialising it can help with balancing out your life.

7 February 2015 The Oppidan Press

News Features

Meet your new VC:

Dr Sizwe Mabizela
Leila Stein

n first meeting Dr Sizwe

Mabizela, who was officially appointed as Rhodes
Universitys Vice-Chancellor at the
end of 2014, it is clear that he has a
true love for Rhodes University and
its students. Wearing a purple scarf
emblazoned with the Universitys
name, Mabizela explained that he
was motivated to take up the position as Vice-Chancellor in order to
fulfil his desire to serve the Rhodes
University community, his country
and humankind.
This is one of the best universities, if not the best university, in this
country, said Mabizela. [Rhodes has]
a long history and a well-entrenched
culture and legacy of academic
excellence. And so I welcomed the
opportunity to be part of sustaining
and even enhancing the long legacy of
excellence in this university.
Mabizela has already served in various capacities in higher education for
a number of years. He completed his
Honours and Masters degrees in Mathematics at the University of Fort Hare
and went on to obtain his Doctorate
from Pennsylvania State University in
the United States.

Since then Mabizela has lectured at

the University of Cape Town, where he
was also appointed Associate Professor
and Deputy Head of the Department
of Pure and Applied Mathematics.
He came to Rhodes in 2004 when he
took up the position of Professor and
Head of the Department of Mathematics. Outside of academics, Mabizela
enjoys running and exercising, reading
a good book and completing Sudoku
puzzles (especially the more challenging Samurai Sudoku).
The duties of a Vice-Chancellor are
not unfamiliar to him as he took on
the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor for
Academic and Student Affairs at Rhodes in 2008, a position he served in until his appointment to Vice-Chancellor
last October. Mabizela understands the
history and mission of the previous
Vice-Chancellors and looks to build on
and continue their work while expanding and focusing on specific goals.
One of the things we set ourselves
as an objective was to open up the
institution to young, poor, rural and
working class students to ensure that
they [are] able to access the quality of
education that Rhodes has to offer,
Mabizela explained.
He added that while this goal will
benefit these students in terms of

This is one
of the best
universities, if
not the best
university, in
this country

Dr Sizwe Mabizela,
Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor

access to education, it will also benefit

students from more affluent backgrounds. When they interact with
young people who come from diverse
social, economic and cultural [and]
geographic backgrounds there is immense educational value, he said.
For this years new and returning
students Mabizela has a clear message:
the University is here to support them
and encouraged them to take advantage of all the support structures the
University has in place.
Mabizela believes that those who
have come to Rhodes have earned
their place. They have been selected
from a wide pool of students who
had applied to Rhodes University.
We selected them because we believe
they have what it takes to succeed at
Rhodes, he said.

eyeSt re
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An accomplished academic, Dr Sizwe Mabizela was appointed the new ViceChancellor of the university after his predecessor, Dr Saleem Badat, resigned in
2014. Photo: SOURCED

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The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

News Features
The Rhodes Dictionary
The ultimate guide to speaking the language of South Africas quirkiest university

(s)

/:bt(r)ri/

(s)

Refers to a subject taken simply to get a credit and not intended as a

major. Usually not taken as seriously as non-arb subjects, often with
disastrous consequences for some students.
...the student could
not decide on which arb to take...

Barratt

/bart/

/b mz/

(singl.)

(pl.)

Term used to refer to 1.5l bottles of wine or crackling. Smaller sizes

are similarly nicknamed missiles, bullets, etc.
...they consumed
numerous bombs in one sitting...

/bi: | pi: | r n/
v

BP run

dawnie

/d :ni/

(s)

A lecture taking place in the first period of the day from 07h45 to
08h30.
...she overslept and missed the dawnie...

flames

/flemz/

(pl.)

Refers to an event that went particularly poorly for the individual

concerned. ...That exam showed me flames...

The Barratt Lecture Complex, located near the Sociology department

and Prince Alfred House. Seats up to 600 students.
...they were
last seen sprinting down to Barratt...

bombs

Another name for Autumn Harvest, a cheap wine. Often referred

to as a crack bomb. The group had lost their bottles of crackling...

(s)

The act of going to the BP garage on African street. Generally

takes place after 1am as the garage is the only 24-hour store in
Grahamstown.
...the food break was going to be a BP run...

for days

/for | dez/

10

11

12

13

14

16

17

18

19

20

21

23

24

25

26

27

28

For days - term meaning a large amount of something.

got food for days...

gees

...Ive

/i.es/

Afrikaans word meaning spirit. Refers to vociferous excitement or

support for an event or sports team or any general activity.

...The gees at the game was exceptional...

khwaps

/kw ps/

isiXhosa term, short for amakhwapha. Refers to severe body odour,

specifically resonating from the armpits. Also spelled khops.

...The khwaps on him was rough...

mystery meat

/mst()ri | mi:t/

Refers to the meat provided in dining halls under the unassuming

moniker of braised, tenderised steak.
...The mystery meat
looked particularly ominous today...

naps

/naps/

(pl.)

The act of having someone spend the night in your residence

room or digs. Residence students are forbidden from engaging in
this practice under the inter-visiting regulations in the Rhodes
University Student Disciplinary Code.

up the hill

/ p | | hl/
v

arb [credit]

/krakl/

vv

A certificate stating that a student was too ill to write an examination.

Students in this category are permitted to rewrite the exam after the
examination period.
...the student applied for an aegrotat...

crackling

/ gr( )tat/

aegrotat

(singl.)

Refers to all on-campus locations above the Rhodes Journalism

and Media Studies Department.
...She had to trek up the hill...

Dictionary compiled by Stuart Lewis and Leila Stein

Read the full dictionary online at oppidanpress.com

7 February 2015

The Oppidan Press

Politics

Will they deliver? Meet the 2015 SRC

Ivan Blazc: Media
Blazc is studying towards a Bachelor of Journalism. During his time at Rhodes he has served as
the chairman of PhotoSoc (the photography society on campus) and Assistant Online Photography
Editor of The Oppidan Press. In his capacity as
the 2015 Media Councillor, Blazc hopes to make
the SRC more transparent and to create greater
students awareness of what the SRC does, mostly
through his photojournalism skills.

Kim Nyajeka

he Rhodes University student body has not been known to take much interest in student
governance. However, after the above-average performance of the 2014 Student Representative Council (SRC), the election process for the 2015 council saw an increase in interest
levels, sparking the question of whether or not this years SRC will live up to expectations.
Almost all the posts in the SRC were contested during the 2014 elections, with a variety of students
from all walks of life vying for positions. Unsurprisingly, the Presidency had the most contenders with
four candidates applying for the position. There was an unexpectedly high voter turnout in 2014, with
over 2 000 students voting on the first day alone.
Since the election results were announced, there has been much speculation over how the 2015 SRC
will measure up to expectations. One of the main reasons some lost faith in the effectiveness of the
SRC in the past was due to elected councillors stepping down before serving their full term. So far,
the 2015 Council has faced two such losses, with the Residence Councillor stepping down not long
after being elected and the Vice-President resigning just three weeks before the start of term, causing a
reshuffle of the SRC Executive. It remains to be seen whether or not this will negatively affect students
current faith in the SRC.
While all SRC councillors actively engage with the student population throughout the year, some are
more visible than others. The Oppidan Press has compiled profiles on seven of these councillors to help
you get to know your representatives a little more.
Siyanda Makhubo: President
Makhubo completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Industrial Sociology and Legal Theory in
2014. This year, he will be studying towards a Post
Graduate Diploma in Media Management. Since
his enrollment in 2012, Makhubo has held various
leadership positions at Rhodes. These include
serving on the House Committee of his residence
Piet Retief, working as the Head News Anchor on
Rhodes Music Radio and serving as the 2014 SRC
Academic Councillor. His vision as the President
for 2015 is that SRC will also stand for Students
Remain Central, promising that this year will
indeed be a year of note in student governance at
the university.
Zikisa Maqubela: Vice-President
Maqubela has completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Accounting and is
studying a Post-Graduate Diploma in Enterprise
Management this year. In 2013, Maqubela was the
Prayer Intercession Leader of the Voice of Glory
(VOG) gospel choir on campus, as well as the Student Christian Organisation Evangelism leader. He
is a Candidate Fellow with the Allan Gray Orbis
Foundation and has also served as the Vice President of VOG as well as the River of Life Churchs
Social Justice Project business skills instructor.
Maqubela was appointed as Vice-President following the resignation of Grace Moyo from the
position due to personal reasons, and will officially
take office on 22 February.
Abigail Butcher: Secretary General
Butcher is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Legal Theory and
Politics and International Studies. In 2014 she was
President of the Debating Society as well as the
Community Engagement representative for The
Oppidan Press. In the latter capacity, she headed a
development project for aspiring young journalists living in Grahamstowns Joza township. Since
Butchers election as SRC Secretary General, she
has attended a South African Student Leaders
Conference in Israel and Palestine with members
of SRCs from other universities around South Africa. The idea of the conference was to help young
leaders in university better understand the IsraeliPalestinian conflict so as to be able to engage with

the issue with greater insight and knowledge.
Godfrey Kadzere: Treasurer
Kadzere is studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce in
Management and Economics. In 2014, he was a member of
the Stanley Kidd House Committee as well as the President
of the Zimbabwe Unlimited Society. He is also the founder
and Chief Executive Officer of his own media company, Liyon
Media, which he started on campus. Kadzere also co-produces the weekly student-run programme Likers of Things
Television, which reviews upcoming social events on campus
as well as promoting student musicians. The former Sports
and Societies Councillor, Kadzere was appointed as the SRC
Treasurer after Maqubela was elevated to Vice-President. He
has the challenge of ensuring that the 2015 SRC does not fall
back into the mammoth debt created by their 2011 predecessors that has loomed over the council ever since.

Tshwarelo Sikhweni: Projects

Sikhweni enrolled at Rhodes in 2012 and has
completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics
and International Studies and Sociology. She is
currently studying towards an Honours degree in
Politics and International Studies. Sikhweni has
served on the House Committee of Allan Gray
House and in 2014 was the Hall Senior Student for
Drostdy Hall. She was also the Under-Secretary
General of Community Engagement for the Rhodes Model United Nations society in 2014.
Tessa Ware: International
Ware is currently doing a BA, triple-majoring in English, History and Anthropology. She has made the Deans List twice and
holds Academic Half-Colours from Rhodes. At high school, Ware
was involved with Round Square, an international organisation
of high schools, and became their first ever alumni coordinator
for the African region. While she is not an international student
herself, Ware wants to teach at international schools and sees her
portfolio as perfect training for ensuring welcoming and enriching
experiences for her students. Her job as International Councillor is
to ensure the concerns of international students, which may differ
from those of local students, are represented at an SRC level.

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The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

Features

There are many social and political issues of importance to Rhodes students, such as the fight for gender equality, as exemplified by the annual rape awareness protest march. Photo: SHEILA DAVID

A crash course on topical issues at Rhodes

Tarryn de Kock
Politics

ike many universities, Rhodes faces a

number of social and institutional issues
that surround the diverse array of students who live, study and play here.
These are issues that often require sensitive and
critical responses in order to ensure a positive
outcome for those involved or interested, and to
generate appropriate debate that involves students
and staff in a constant dialogue.
Sexual violence
South Africa is a country in which sexual violence is a dismayingly common occurrence. The
damages of rape and abuse are both personal and
societal, and require hands-on efforts by those
seeking to combat the scourge.
The annual Silent Protest at Rhodes is the largest protest against sexual violence in the country,
and draws students from all kinds of backgrounds showing solidarity with victims of rape
and sexual abuse. The protest is organised by,
among others, the Gender Action Project (GAP),

a society on the Rhodes University campus which

tackles issues related to sex, gender and genderbased violence. Their primary aim is to encourage
dialogue and debate on these issues for students
to gain a better understanding of them.
The University aims to create a safe environment for all students in various ways, including
protecting their dignity and bodily autonomy.
Students who have been sexually assaulted, or
who have had someone attempt to do so, are
advised to report this to their house warden (if
in residence) or to the Campus Protection Unit
(CPU), from where further steps can be taken.
These include an emergency medical examination, counselling and legal assistance. The student
can also report the incident to the Director of
Student Affairs for internal disciplinary action
to be taken.
LGBTIQA
Students who identify as LGBTiQ (Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and
Asexual) are encouraged to feel at home at Rhodes like anyone else. It is, however, impossible to
deny the prevalence of discrimination students

identifying as LGBTIQA face, especially from

their peers. The society OutRhodes offers a space
for students to learn and engage on issues facing
the LGBTIQA community, as well as support for
those still discovering their identities.
At an institutional level, Rhodes rejects any
form of discrimination be it religious, cultural,
ethnic, racial, gender-based or sexual, and has
policies in place to take action against those
who do not comply with this ethos. Students can
report acts of discrimination or harassment to
the designated Reporting Officers: the Director
of Student Affairs office, hall wardens, staff at the
Counselling Centre, and the SRC President and
Activism & Transformation Councillor.
Racism
With just over twenty years since the death of
institutional apartheid, the fault-lines in the
Rainbow Nation story have begun to show, with
numerous racist attacks being reported over the
last year, and a surge in the brazenness of those
who still believe in the fundamental differences
between races.
As mentioned above, Rhodes has policies in

place to combat racism at an institutional level,

but this does not mean that unspoken and invisible acts of race discrimination do not exist on
campus. These range from the way people expect
others to speak or write, what is considered appropriate hair or attire, and where people hang
out after hours.
Many of the Humanities departments engage
on issues of racism in their coursework, and the
public lectures hosted by the Politics department
often include speakers discussing the effects
of racist thinking on different aspects of South
African society. These lectures can serve as a
springboard for getting involved in and furthering discussions around race issues which are
necessary if South Africa is to overcome its history of discrimination.
The University adopted the slogan Rhodes
rejects racism a few years ago to embody its attitude and policies against racism at an institutional and social level, and if any student experiences
an act of discrimination they are invited to report
this to the Reporting Officers so that the necessary steps can be taken.

Grahamstown: a city of saints and broken glass

Jordan Stier
Opinion
Grahamstown is a record-breaking
city in many ways. And while not all
of these records are official, they do
deserve some recognition. First of
all, the fact that a place this small
can be called a city must be worthy
of some accolade. It can be dubbed
so because it contains a cathedral,
the seat of the Anglican Diocese.
Sure, its a colonial way of classifying
it, but just about everything in
this town is the direct result of the
year 1812.
Secondly, the town holds the record
for squeezing the most religious
buildings into a valley. There are more
than forty of them in here! Thats at
least as impressive as that dog that can
stuff five tennis balls into its mouth
and definitely more admirable than
the pet-rearing capabilities of that
dogs owners.
Finally, Grahamstown holds the record for having the most broken glass

Grahamstown is a city of contrasts and apparent contradictions, where old and new, poverty and wealth, and a range of
other opposites combine to create a space unlike any other. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
scattered across its streets, pavements,
flowerbeds, rooftops and everywhereelses. Well, not officially, but surely
it must. Just have a look around you
next time you take a walk virtually
anywhere in town and you will see
what I mean. Once, I even found Chinese porcelain dating back to the peak
years of the Ming dynasty, around the
16th century BCE. How I knew that it

dated back to that age is another story

altogether one that you will have to
buy me a drink to hear.
These records (this is my article, I
can call them what I want) seem an
odd combination. The first is of grand
stature, the second is of holy declination, and the third is the result of
drunkards, quarrellers, carelessness
and many other things that are neither

grand nor holy. But its these odd

combinations of apparent opposites
that truly make this town unique. The
large pensioner population and the
sizable number of students and scholars exemplifies this. The way English
and isiXhosa fight for supremacy
across the valley like its 1819 says
something too.* The wealthy live here
in hordes, right down the road from

the alarmingly poor.

One might say this is the state of
our country, though. The SS Diversity is our flagship, and yet Grahamstown seems so exceptional. That is
because all of our diversity is stuffed
into a valley that is a mere 65 square
kilometres in size, much like those five
tennis balls in that dogs mouth. We
cannot help but notice how different
we all are because our differences are
all sharing the same small crater.
The plaque at the entrance to the
Desmond Tutu dining hall holds this
quote from the great Archbishop
Emeritus: Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are
different precisely in order to realise
our need of one another. These words
summarise my experience of living
in this town for two years. Sure, thats
not a very long time, but it was time
enough to learn more about the term
humanity, and what it means to be human, than I could ever have imagined.
*And Afrikaans, of course.
Sien, ek het nie julle vergeet nie.

7 February 2015

SA labour market
facing skills crisis
Nathi Mzileni

lectrical engineers were among the most sought

after professionals in the South African job market
last year, according to a study by the Department of
Education and Higher Training (DEHT) titled National
Scarce Skills List: Top 100 Occupations In Demand.
The study, authored by DEHT research consultant Professor Hoosen Rasool, showed that 49 percent of jobs on
the list required an engineering-related degree. The high
demand for engineers is caused by the small output of engineering graduates. The report stated that only 14 percent of
the 511 564 students who enrolled in the engineering discipline between 1998 and 2010 actually graduated. Engineering is not the only sector in crisis, however.
South Africas chronic shortage of health science professionals meant that occupations in the health science sector
also featured prominently on the DEHTs list. A 2013
survey by the South African Institute of Race Relations
(SAIRR) revealed that the country needs 14 351 doctors
and more than 44 000 nurses, making these occupations the
most in demand in the health science category. The country
also needs 5 000 midwives and more than 800 pharmacists,
according to the SAIRR study.
Economics, management and accounting related jobs
appeared ten times on the list, with finance manager taking
sixth place overall. This makes it the most in demand occupation in the business management sector, closely followed
by accountants.
There were no fewer than five posts from the education
sector on the skills list with Further Education Teacher
and Natural Science teacher ranking in the top fifty. Poor
salaries and failed service delivery often deter graduates
from entering the teaching profession. The report stated
that educators earn between R6 000 and R22 000 per month
depending on their experience and location. Rasool said
the country needs about 15 000 more teachers to keep [up]
with the annual demand of 25 000 new teachers.
The Information Technology sector was also well-represented, with a total of seven jobs listed. Ranking at 27, Information and Communication Technology systems
analysts are in high demand, but the labour market

only 14 percent of
the 511 564 students
who enrolled in
the engineering
discipline between
1998 and 2010
actually graduated

also needs software developers. Chief information officers

also featured on the DEHTs list, coming in at 91.
Not all of the occupations on the list require a university
degree, however. Plumber, boiler maker and carpenter
were just some of the jobs listed that require no degree. The
declining availability of millwrights, meanwhile, means that
companies are willing to pay as much as R30 000 a month
for their services, according to a study by Dr Danie du Toit,
a lecturer at North-West University.
This shows that, while skilled professionals are in demand, the South
African job market has openings in a
wide variety of professions, not all of
which require a university qualification. This is good news for the
countrys youth, many of whom
struggle to find employment
after high school, and whose
participation in all facets of the
economic sector of South Africa
is needed for the countrys
economic and social
development.
The full report
can be found
at www.polity.
org.za.

Image: SOURCED

The Oppidan Press

Business

Being a national centre of commerce and industry, employees in Gauteng can

expect to be paid higher salaries than many of their extraprovincial counterparts. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

Gauteng tops
salary charts
Nathi Mzileni
KwaZulu-Natal has the ideal subtropical climate. The Western Cape
has one of the worlds seven natural
wonders. But when it comes to getting the best salary, Gauteng comes
out on top, according to Career Junctions latest salary review. The review
compared salary offerings across
these provinces for the countrys top
ten employment sectors for the second and third quarters of 2014.
According to the review, people in
Gautengs engineering sector earned
18% more than their counterparts in
Kwa-Zulu Natal and 35% more than
those in the Western Cape. The survey
also showed that project engineers
were the highest paid, with salaries
for first time project engineers ranging
from R445 692 to R646 464.
More experienced project engineers
earned a starting salary of R590 292
per annum. Automotive engineers,
meanwhile, were the lowest paid, taking home between R262 500 and R556
248 annually.
The manufacturing and assembly
industry is South Africas third largest
employment sector with more than
1.9 million employers. Plant managers
were the highest paid in the industry,
taking home annual gross earnings of
R436 752 to R637 596 depending on
their management level. Assemblers
and fabricators, however, got the short
end of the stick, earning just R5 714 to
R9 514 a month.

Kwa-Zulu Natal accountants were

the worst paid, earning 32% to 35%
less than those in Gauteng and 6% less
than their Western Cape peers. The
average starting salary in the sector
was R23 521 a month, while average
earnings for senior accountants went
as high as R423 920 per annum.
The finance sector had an average
starting salary of R25 111 a month,
while nine senior management
positions were paid more than R1.5
million a year. As the countrys richest
province, Gauteng unsurprisingly paid
the best in the sector 29% more than
the Western Cape and as much as 35%
more than Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The Information Technology industry had one of the lowest regional
percentage margins, with the Western
Cape two percent behind Gauteng and
eight percent ahead of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Information Technology managers
were the sectors highest paid employees, earning over R50 000.
Other sectors examined include
construction, logistics, telecommunications, marketing and administration
sectors. Career Junction, which
connects recruiters and job seekers,
based its review on current salary offerings posted by recruiters advertising
vacant posts.
So, if you are in it for the money
and can do without Kwa-Zulu Natals
beautiful beaches or the Western
Capes legendary wines, perhaps you
should plan your working future
in Gauteng.

8 The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

Map

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The Oppidan Press

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Grahamstown

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4
LIBRARY

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Mo

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Coffee
1 - Homeground Coffee Roasters
2 - Red Caf
3 - Mad Hatters
4 - The Day Kaif
5 - Handmade Coffee
6 - The Blockhouse
7 - The Provost Caf
8 - Haricots
9 - Caf Dvine

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BOTANICAL
GARDENS

7 February 2015 The Oppidan Press

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1 - The Highlander
2 - Olde 65, Prime and The Rat & Parrot
3 - Champs Action Bar
4 - Friar Tucks Pub & Grill

Be

Food
1 - Spar (at BP)
2 - Peppergrove Mall (Pick n Pay, Wimpy,
Revelations Caf, KFC, Twing Sushi)
3 - Checkers
4 - Ginos Restaurant
5 - Relish
6 - Debonairs Pizza
7 - Steers
8 - Caf Delizzia
9 - Morgans Restaurant

Map design: SINDISIWE MCDONALD

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10 The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

Opinion

The Oppidan Press

Hello first years (and parents). First off, to quote the inimitable Douglas
Adams, DONT PANIC. This is adulthood. This is the real world. For
maybe the first time ever, you are truly on your own.
Except, not really. The person next to you, who also has a 15 at the start of
their student number, is in exactly the same position. They also dont really
know anybody here and have no clue whats coming for them over the next
nine months. Go say hi. Make a friend. Make this whole coming to university
thing that much less scary.
2015 is one of those strange years that falls immediately after a national election. All the major political players are still regrouping and consolidating all
the gains they made in 2014. Yet we are anything but starved for big news.
Boko Haram continues to make huge advances in Nigeria. Robert Mugabe
has been appointed the new African Union chairperson. Mozambique and
Malawi are suffering through extreme flooding. Islamophobic attacks continue
in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris.
But its not all doom and gloom. For the first time in history, a US president
acknowledged the existence of transgender, lesbian and bisexual individuals
in a State of the Union address. Scientists have used genetic engineering to
develop improved anti-HIV antibodies. Kurdish fighters have reclaimed the
town of Kobani from ISIL forces. There is a (slim) possibility that Grahamstown may get an airport.
Thats a lot of news to take in and you may feel a little overwhelmed right
now. Dont worry, thats what were here for. The Oppidan Press continues to
break ground as the cutting edge in South African student journalism and we
look forward to taking you on that journey with us.
Our print edition will continue to bring you the in-depth and informative
features that you have gotten used to. Our online team is looking to cement its
place as your go-to source for breaking news in Grahamstown and our video
production team at OppiTV will build on the immense success of its livestreamed webcasts last year.
In our last edition of 2014, we bid farewell to a whole crop of The Oppidan
Press stalwarts, many of whom had given every year they spent at Rhodes to
working on and growing this paper. This year, we look forward to welcoming
an entirely new generation of passionate students and journalists committed to
driving this university and this paper forward.
Our team is always looking for more talented and driven young people to
join us, no matter what degree you choose to study. If youre interested in writing, editing, photography, design, filming or getting to grips with the financial
workings of a functioning business, send us an email. Just remember, we are
an official society and so you will eventually have to sign up at Societies SignUp to work for us.
We look forward to a long, challenging and exciting 2015 with you, our
readers, and we hope you will continue to support the very hard work that our
team puts into producing the best in student journalism.

The Oppidan Press staff and contact details

Editor: Amanda Xulu. Deputy Editor: Stuart Lewis. Executive
Consultants: Binwe Adebayo, Kyla Hazell. Managing Editor: Sindisa
Mfenqe. Advertising Manager: Smangaliso Simelane. Acting Online
Editor: Liam Stout. News Features Editor: Leila Stein. Assistant News
Features Editor: Phelokazi Mbude. Politics Editor: Tarryn de Kock.
Assistant Politics Editor: Kim Nyajeka. Opinion Editor: Deane Lindhorst.
Assistant Opinion Editor: Jordan Stier. Arts & Entertainment Editor:
Matthew Field. Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor: Nkosazana
Hlalethwa. Sci-Tech Editor: Bracken Lee-Rudolph. Environment Editor:
Lili Barras-Hargan. Business Editor: Nathi Mzileni. Sports Editor: Gabriella
Bellairs-Lombard. Assistant Sports Editor: Armand Mukenge. Chief
Photo Editor: Kellan Botha. Assistant Chief Photo Editor: Bronwyn
Pretorius. Chief Online Photo Editor: Jamie Tucker. Chief Sub-Editor:
Kate Jennings. Senior Sub-Editor: Danica Kreusch. Chief Designer:
Hannah McDonald. Assistant Chief Designer: Amy-Jane Harkess. External
Content Advisors: Sian Ferguson, Carissa Govender. OppiTV Chief Editor:
Welcome Lishivha. OppiTV Content Editor: Carey Moraladi. OppiTV
Deputy Content Editor: Khanyi Mlaba. OppiTV Managing Editor: Sarah
Middleton. Ombudsperson: Professor Anthea Garman.
Letters to the Editor: editor@oppidanpress.com
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www.oppidanpress.com
www.facebook.com/theoppidanpress
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The Oppidan Press publishes letters which are bona fide expressions of opinion provided that they are not clearly libellous,
defamatory, racist or sexist. We publish anonymous letters, but as
an act of good faith on your part, we require your full name. We
reserve the right to shorten letters due to space constraints and to
edit them for grammatical inaccuracies. Letters that do not make it
into our print edition will be published on our website.

The offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine shortly after an attack on the publications employees by Islamic
fundamentalists in Paris. The attacks have sparked both outcry and debate over the nature of violence and free speech.
Photo: SOURCED (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

The depths of free expression

James Carkeek

he media has lately been

dominated by debates regarding the breadth of a persons
political right to freedom of speech,
with a particular focus on who we
can criticise and in what form. This
is a valuable addition to our society
and civil life, whether you agree with
the Charlie Hebdo journalists that
all people, groups and beliefs are fair
game for criticism in any form or
if you agree with Pope Francis that
certain areas should be accorded
more respect.
This article, however, is not about
that. The point I wish to make is that
freedom of speech is much more
complex than simple criticism of the
government it is essential to how we
understand ourselves and our place in
the world. What seems to be missing from this current discussion is a
question of the depth of our freedom
of speech. None of our fundamental
rights exist in isolation from each

other, and in the South African context

our web of rights is heavily dependent
on three: dignity, equality, and freedom. Freedom to move about, freedom
to live as we want to live and freedom
to discuss ideas and participate in the
free flow of information.
Freedom of speech is what guarantees that free flow of information. It
does more than inform us of which
government official has committed the
latest misdeed or how certain government policies may negatively affect us.
Our freedom of speech allows us to
engage with ideas about ourselves, who
we are as people, what we like or dislike, our sexuality or gender identity,
where we want to live or what career
path we might one day want to embark
on. This is what I call the depth of
freedom of speech.
In Russia, the Oscar-nominated
movie Leviathan (a critique of Russian political life) has had its release
delayed time and again as censors cut
out parts that clash with profanity
laws, while the state Duma debates

new censorship laws to block anything

that goes against national culture or
threatens state unity. These measures
further restrict free flow of information. They deny people the right to
be critical of, and to reshape, what it
means to be Russian.
As citizens of a society that values a
free press and access to international
media, we sometimes fail to grasp how
easy it can be to have that free flow of
ideas corrupted by state apparatus. We
need only look at Li Cunxins account
of his experience growing up in Maoist
China in his book Maos Last Dancer
to see how easy it is to confuse and
mislead people when that free flow of
ideas about themselves and their place
in the world is cut off and replaced
with propaganda.
As South Africans, we need to be
aware of our dependency on the free
flow of information and thus on freedom of speech. And we must ensure
the protection of this free flow of information in order to protect our understanding of our place in the world.

Do you want to join this list?

The Oppidan Press is hiring, and we want you!
Were looking for:
Deputy Editor
Managing Editor
Financial Manager
Marketing Manager
Community Engagement Officer
Online Editor
Politics Editor
Chief Online Sub-Editor
Writers Designers
Photographers

If youre interested in joining our team, please send a CV and motivational letter to
editor@oppidanpress.com by 20 February.

We hope to hear from you!

7 February 2015 The Oppidan Press

11

Opinion

Learning the hard way

Deane Lindhorst

university
taught me to
painstakingly
question
every belief
and piece of
information
that would
place itself in
front of me

or many of you fresh from school holidays or

limping in off the back of a gap year (or two) the
attractions of O-week will no doubt have pushed
academic concerns to a quiet corner of your mind. But
speaking as a long time student who fumbled many times
throughout my degree, there are some very important
academic-related things I wish I had known when starting
my journey at Rhodes, things that my time at high school
did not prepare me for.
The first of these was the art of critical thinking. Where
school taught me to consume and repeat facts and the
knowledge of others, university taught me to painstakingly
question every belief and piece of information that would
place itself in front of me. And not only to question, but
also to deconstruct the information and try to piece it back
together using reasoned arguments.
The second thing school did not prepare me for was the
art of researching. Irrespective of your faculty you will have
to learn that Wikipedia is not a credible source. You will be
taught how to find and access journals and use the library.
Learn to appreciate this building and its people, because if
used properly your life will become a whole lot easier.
Linked to this is another thing that I was not prepared for
but if mastered quickly will make your life that much easier:
the art of referencing. Regardless of your subject you will
soon learn that using anothers ideas requires you to give
acknowledgement (Stier, 2014). Learn to master the specifics of your departments referencing style as soon as possible
and you will avoid many headaches.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, school never taught
me the price of freedom. While many teachers and parents
have perfected the art of constant reminders and nagging,
university offers no such services. The temptation to sleep
in and miss that dawnie (a 07h45 lecture) will often become

too great and the snooze button will be hit. Deadlines will
seem so far away that they will be forgotten and only frantically remembered the night before (arguably when most
students produce their best work). The lesson here is that
self-discipline, while being the hardest skill to master, will
without a doubt be your most important ally in the hunt for
that elusive DP.
I used the term art throughout to refer to different skills
you will learn. This is because the pursuit of a degree is an
art in and of itself. There is no one recipe for success and
you have a blank canvas in front of you. Find the balance
between your social life, your hobbies, and your studies
and, most importantly, find what works for you and make
the best of your time at Rhodes.

Students new to the world of university academics will soon learn that without
proper research and referencing, not even the best work will satisfy tutors and
lecturers. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

House Committees leading from the front

demeaning initiation practices, Rhodes
and its residences outright reject it
and excel in finding ways to create
unity through positive means. Many
residences find unique ways of reaching into peoples comfort zones and
slowly coaxing them out. (No spoiler
alerts here, you will need to wait and
see what your residence has in store
for you!)
Aside from this daunting challenge,
House Comm members continue to
act as mentors, role models and active

Deane Lindhorst
The Rhodes University motto
Where leaders learn is being actively practised in a number of areas
within university administration
and daily life. One of the first places
new students are introduced to those
learning to lead is in the residential
system, where a number of older
students serve as house committee
members and sub-wardens.
Each residential House Committee
is a team tasked with looking after the
residence and its inhabitants. In Orientation Week, this involves welcoming
new students and introducing them to
the unique cultures and traditions that
are part and parcel of every residence
across campus. House Comm members are in a privileged position in
which they have the means to pass on
positive traditions and cultures, and to
challenge and change those that need
changing. In doing so, they contribute
to what might be a young and growing
legacy or retain a very old and established one.
A massive challenge that these student leaders face in Orientation Week,
and indeed throughout their term of
office, is finding ways of creating commonalities and lasting bonds between
students from diverse backgrounds.
The end of apartheid paved the way for
a new society, one that would be built
on the grounds of mutual respect for
all people. This new society did not
just happen with the flip of a switch,
however. Instead it is being slowly built

In each house at Rhodes, students

elect a committee to deal with house
affairs for the next year. House
Comm is considered by many to be
an invaluable leadership experience
for students. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
up by each successive generation as the
bonds between people strengthen in
spite of our diversity.
House Comm members are also
faced with the challenge of creating
a common space where many people
can feel at home and in turn flourish
to become meaningful contributors
in the building of this new society.
While many institutions across the
country continue to struggle against

contributors to the life of the residence

throughout the year as well as fulfilling
the commitments of their portfolios.
These commitments range from community engagement events, organising entertainment or inter-res sport
events, or even feeding the eternally
hungry res printer, all of which often
require many hours of dedication
and planning.
The list of responsibilities of a good
House Committee is extensive and often tailored to the particular residence.

But even as those learning to lead take

on responsibility for others, those
under their care slowly start to take
up the mantle as well. Each student
has a responsibility to become involved, to call out where student leaders are failing and to acknowledge and
applaud where they are succeeding.
If this dialogue of teaching and learning continues among students and
student leaders then the university
experience and teachings can only
improve over time.

12 The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

Environment

Is Rhodes a green machine?

Dylan Green

lthough many South African universities have implemented environmentally-focused initiatives and studentdriven campaigns, the extent to which they
actually influence the daily lives of students
remains questionable. The University of the
Western Cape (UWC) won the award for Africas Greenest Campus at the third national
African Green Campus Initiative conference,
having won the award for a second time since
the initiatives inauguration in 2012. Perhaps
Rhodes can learn something from UWC in
terms of environmental initiatives.
UWC is involved in a number of environmental and sustainability-focused initiatives,
including maintaining a 30 hectare nature reserve
rich in biodiversity and launching a successful
recycling programme in student residences. Both
projects are driven by active student participation. Additionally, sustainable transport was a
focus with solar-powered golf carts helping out
with campus-based travel.
A key factor in UWCs success is student
enthusiasm and participation. Active campuswide involvement in recycling churns out 70 tons
of recyclables every month and has created jobs
for 120 previously-unemployed individuals. The
nature reserve is also maintained by students who
perform tasks like weeding out alien vegetation.
Rhodes University itself has numerous environmental initiatives, and actively encourages

Although Rhodes has initiated several environmentally friendly projects and policies, it still lags
behind other institutions like the University of the Western Cape. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS
recycling by having separate bins for different
wastes in most residences. While the facilities
may exist, student commitment is still an issue.
Michaela Baker, Environmental Representative
on her House Committee for 2015 said that: I
dont think that people in my res were actually
committed to recycling at all. People werent

taking it seriously. Baker added that recycling

bins were often empty or had the wrong recyclables inside.
Baker thought that a large part of the problem
was not student unwillingness, but rather that the
system has not been properly set up in residences. There was not enough encouragement,

she said. Baker further explained that, when

collected, all wastes were put into the same
bin which discouraged students from recycling.
People dont understand the materials theyre
throwing away and how theyre supposed to
be recycled. I think there needs to be a clear
understanding at the beginning of the year,
she stated.
James Agiotis, a 2014 Environmental Representative, was more positive saying that the majority of students were quite involved although
there were still people that had no interest in
recycling, or made the mistake of throwing the
items in the wrong bins.
Rhodes is also involved in promoting sustainability within the local community. The RUGreen
society has implemented various communitybased projects, including the Cleaning, Greening
and Saving Initiative. This three-phase initiative
aims to reduce waste by integrating composting
into the daily lives of the local people, promoting
a sustainable food source by encouraging vegetable gardening and saving energy by creating
hotbags to reduce energy use while cooking.
Campus-wide interest and involvement are
crucial to the success of all Green Campuses,
and while Rhodes may have a lot to show on
the environmental front, more student involvement is needed if we are to win the next Africas
Greenest Campus award. By promoting comprehensive and inclusive initiatives, widespread and
sustainable change is a possibility at Rhodes and
throughout South Africa.

Green scholars set an environmental example

Nathi Mzileni and Lauren Buckle

been using. Be aware that things are not as they should be, and
then act, she said. McKrill also believes in citizen science as an
effective tool for change. If I can understand a way a system works
then I can take that across to
ellan Botha
somebody else and I can
to: K
o
h
P
teach them about that,
she explained.
Zimbini
Gcadinja (BSc
Environmental Science,
PGCE)
Through
her studies,
Gcadinja
found that
everything
revolves
around the
environment,
nothing is outside it. She has
become critical of

Pho
to
:B
r

governments and corporates

that advocate short term,
unsustainable logics
rather than long term,
sustainable thinking.
A believer in civic
science, Zimbini
said that a lot can
be achieved through
empowering people
with knowledge
rather than using
the scare tactics
many environmental
organisations have employed over the years.

r
reto
nP
wy
on

ius

ll a
n

us
retori
nP

Pho
to:
Ke

y
nw
ro

In 1896, scientist Svante Arrhenius proposed that the excessive use of fossil fuels could result in enhanced global warming.
However, it took almost a century for a world-wide interest in
our planets ecological state to appear. The fight for environmentally sustainable living has now taken the world by storm on an
individual as well as an academic level.
At Rhodes University, the Environmental Sciences Programme
was established in 1998 to facilitate learning opportunities for
students interested in environmental issues. The programme
evolved into a fully-fledged department in 2002 and provides students with the opportunity to learn more about
the environment that they live in. The department
is currently involved in the guidance of 110 undergraduate students and 40 postgraduates, including
18 Honours students.
Students wishing to study Environmental Science 201 and 202 need to have obtained a credit in
either Geography, Anthropology, Botany, Geology
or Zoology. The Environmental Science department focuses on understanding and managing the
complex social-ecological systems within Africa. It
includes studies regarding biodiversity, ecosystem
service, landscape change, non-timber forest product
use, invasive plants, and climate change adaption.
The department provides students with an opportunity
to become involved in their environment as well as
the chance to attain practical knowledge of the field, making
it one of the more active courses at Rhodes University
and a well-recommended subject for students
interested in cultivating a brighter, greener
a
th
future for South Africa.
Bo
The Oppidan Press recently spoke
to a few students studying in the Environmental Science department to get
their views on why the subject is so
important for South Africas environmental future.
Zona Dotwana (Masters in
Environmental Education)
Dotwana discovered her passion

for biodiversity after her gap year led her to notice the lack of black
females in the sector. Having worked with smaller communities in
her Honours year, Dotwana explained that she wants her studies to
have a strong social component. I like doing environmental studies, but I dont want to do it alone, she stated. The environment
and people need to coexist. Dotwana said she has one message
for climate change sceptics, governments and corporates: Mother
Nature is our breadwinner.
Karabo Chadzingwa (Masters in Environmental Science)
Chadzingwa is an advocate
Ph
for sustainable development,
ot
o:
viewing it as the only
B
way to create balance.
We are one with the
environment. If its not
healthy then we are
not healthy, she said.
Chadzingwa believes
Africa is capable
of implementing a
sustainable economy
and saving the planet
despite the fact that
scientific data predicts
a bleak future. We
can chart a way
for a new kind
of sustainability,
she said.
Leanne McKrill (Masters in Environmental
Education)
McKrill champions an inclusive conversation rather
than what
she views as
the chauvinistic approach
Greenpeace has

7 February 2015

The Oppidan Press

13

Scitech

How Rhodes internet quota works

Getting the most out of Rhodes internet (legally)
Bracken Lee-Rudolph

With gaming in both digital and traditional formats being a popular past time for many, Rhodes GameSoc remains one
of the larger groups on campus and offers a wide range of games to the student community. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

Gaming at Rhodes:
where and how?
Bracken Lee-Rudolph

aming, though quickly growing into one of the largest

forms of media globally, is
still something of a niche market
in South Africa. Though diverse in
its forms - card, board and video
gaming being just a few - it is often
difficult to find a consistent group of
people to play with locally.
However, Rhodes is well set up to
cater to the interests of most gamers.
This is largely due to the consistent
work of GameSoc, the universitys official gaming society.
GameSoc Chairperson Graeme Faul
explained that it hosts weekly events
for popular trading card game Magic:
The Gathering, various board games
and tabletop gaming. There are also
the termly LANs which are hosted
over a weekend in collaboration with
the Rhodes University Computer
Users society. These LANs give PC
and console gamers playing time and
opportunities to socialise.
Of all the games offered by GameSoc, Faul said that board gaming is
probably the most popular amongst
Rhodes students. Although often
students who join have some kind of
gaming background in one or more
sections and will often fill in with that
crowd first, he added
Faul further added that the groups,
while quite tight-knit, are always open

to new members and that first-time

GameSoc members tend to return,
signing up again each year for the
duration of their time at Rhodes.
He added that the societys membership generally sits at around
90 members.
The society also holds competitive ventures, including Friday night
Magic: The Gathering tournaments
and the annual Gaming Championships which take place in fourth term.
Faul hinted at the possibility of an
inter-varsity competition in the future,
but was quick to call it a pipe dream at
the moment.
As far as eSports goes, however,
Rhodes is fairly well represented, albeit
not in any official capacity. In 2014,
Rhodes student Mo James represented
In-Finity Gaming in Telkoms Do
Gaming League, the biggest competitive gaming league in South Africa.
He eventually finished fourth in the
Dota 2 section of the Do Gaming
Championships in which his team was
sponsored by Logitech.
Even with the growing prominence
of competitive gaming both in GameSoc and across the country, there is
still a place for students who just want
to play for fun. William Walters was
one such student and was a member
of GameSoc from 2008 until his recent
graduation from Rhodes.
During his studies, Walters was
intimately involved with the society

and held various committee positions within GameSoc. This period

saw the society expand its range to
include board games, wargaming and
the iconic Humans vs. Zombies event,
which takes place each year during the
third term.
Walters discussed how the committee tried to make GameSoc a worthwhile experience for all members. We
tried different things to help give new
members something for their money not just a cool t-shirt, he explained.
We had RPG [Role-Playing Games]
weekends as well as LANs and board
game evenings, said Walters. The
GameSoc we see now is because of the
care we [the past committees] took to
develop it.
It was most definitely an integral
part of my experience as a student because of friends and [the] many amazing times we role-played together and
all the LANs and stuff, added Walters,
emphasising GameSocs importance
as a means of socialising outside of
lecture halls and residences.
While it may not be easy to get involved in more niche forms of gaming
locally, Rhodes Universitys GameSoc
definitely has support for many gaming platforms.
And while the society may not be
properly set up for more competitive
ventures at present, its members will
certainly be able to put you in contact
with someone who is.

Rhodes University has a comprehensive network in Resnet and

eduroam for students to connect
their devices to the internet, which
is limited only by the internet
quota system and how much you
use (or abuse) it.
Below is a quick guide to getting
the most out of the network without
breaking the Universitys rules.
The quota:
The Rhodes quota system uses
two separate quotas - the per-host
and per-user quotas. The per-host
quota, as of August 2014, no longer
applies to student devices. The
per-user quota, however, applies to
all student internet traffic, including computers in labs, residences
or the library, personal computers
connected to Resnet and devices
connected to eduroam.
The student quota is measured
in mebibytes (MiB) and gibibytes
(GiB) instead of megabytes and
gigabytes, since the latter two terms
have multiple interpretations. The
current student quota sits at 9.0GiB
per a rolling seven day period. In
practice, this means that your data
usage is only accumulated over the
seven days directly prior to the current day. So for example, if you had
used 9GiB from Tuesday the 17th to
Monday the 23rd of February, the
data you used on the 17th would
be cleared as soon as the 24th came
along, and your accumulation of
data used will then be measured
from the 18th to the 24th.
Demand Side Management:
The demand side management
(DSM) system the University has in
place drastically reduces the amount
of your quota that you use up during certain periods of the day. This
means that if you use the internet

Make sure
that your
downloads
do not
spill into
other time
brackets,
or the total
data will be
split in half
between
them

at certain times (23h00-01h00 and

01h00-08h00) your data usage will
be greatly reduced (to 20% and 4%
of the usual quota usage respectively). These are the perfect time
slots to do big downloads, such as
Steam games.
Make sure that your downloads
do not spill into other time brackets,
or the total data expended will be
split in half between them regardless
of how much was actually downloaded in each bracket. In a 22GiB
download, for example, the data
would split 11GiB in a normal time
zone and 11GiB in a DSM zone, and
you would be temporarily banned
from the network altogether.
The connectivity at Rhodes is
certainly a big bonus, especially if
you have devices capable of using
it or if you frequent the labs. As
long as you stay within the rules,
you will never have issues with the
connectivity, or the university in
charge of it.

Connecting your laptop to Resnet:

Plug an ethernet (LAN) cable into the port in
your residence room and the corresponding
slot in your PC.
Power on your PC and open any web
browser. A university page should open
with instructions on how to set up your
internet connection.
Follow the prompts and wait the length of
time stated on screen.

Connecting your devices to eduroam:

Activate your devices WiFi
Enter your student number suffixed by
@wf.ru.ac.za when prompted, along with
the password you use for University pages
like ROSS and Webmail.
On Android, your EAP method should be
PEAP and your Phase 2 Authentication
should be MSCHAPV2, which you should
find under their respective drop-down
menus.

14 The Oppidan Press 7 February 2015

Features

Technology at Rhodes:
our recommendations
Bracken Lee-Rudolph
Scitech
University is quite a daunting place to arrive at, and new students frequently
wind up having brought too many or too few possessions. The former is doubly true for technology, as students often bring items they do not need. In this
article we will take a look at what is important and what you can do without.
Laptop/PC: Advised, but not crucial
Rhodes does have several computer labs open, some
for 24 hours, where students can go to work, use
the internet and print out assignments. However, it
is advisable to get a laptop as it is far more convenient to have a device that can be taken to the library
or lectures than it is to have to go to the labs for
every assignment.
It is also preferable to have a laptop over a PC, as
having a portable device is invaluable if you need
to do group work or want to work somewhere else.
Transporting and setting up a desktop PC would simply be impractical.
A wide selection of restaurants and cafs in Grahamstown means vegetarian and vegan students need not go hungry
when out on the town. Photo: BRONWYN PRETORIUS

Broadening veggie horizons

Demi Drew
Environment

aking the leap into vegetarianism or veganism

can seem daunting at first, especially without the
comfort of home cooking and with the looming
dining-hall food routine.
However, with an excellent choice of restaurants offering
delicious vegetarian and vegan options, Grahamstown is
the place to be for a change in diet and the beginning of a
healthier lifestyle.
Relish
Situated on Allen Street and within walking distance
of the Rhodes University campus area, Relish is a newlyopened caf which specialises in homemade smoothies
and juices as well as delicious sandwiches for vegetarians
and vegans alike. The cafs minimalistic, modern design
complements its simple and delicious food choices from
vegetarian sandwiches to scrumptious vegan Oreo cupcakes.
Our favourite vegetarian dish from Relish is their hummus,
mushroom and rocket sandwich, which pairs perfectly with
the cafes mixed berry smoothie. Relish is located at 8 Allen
Street and is open Monday to Saturday from 09h00-16h00.
For more information, call 072 222 9072.
Red Caf
This eclectic caf found on High Street is very popular
among students for its reasonable prices, down-to-earth
atmosphere and wonderful service. A dish to look out for is
the pita with avocado, olives, spring onion and hummus. In
the drinks line, Red Cafs recently-invented alternative to
iced tea made with green tea, apple juice, mint and honey is

definitely one to try. To follow the cafs daily specials and

pick up a great meal for under R50 every day, follow Red
Caf on Facebook. Red Cafe is located at 127a High Street
and is open Monday to Saturday from 08h30-16h30. For
more information, call 046 622 8384.
Mad Hatters Bistro and Coffee Shop
Established in the early 1990s, Mad Hatters Bistro and
Coffee Shop can also be found on Grahamstowns High
Street and has a brilliant assortment of vegetarian meals
and confectionaries. The Alice in Wonderland theme runs
throughout the restaurant with vibrant murals depicting
various characters from the novel, and enough tea and
coffee to sink a ship. Our favourite vegetarian meals are the
butternut soup, and the baked potato with a varied assortment of toppings. The Mad Hatters Bistro and Coffee Shop
is located at 118 High Street and is open Monday to Saturday
from 08h00-17h00 and on Sundays from 11h30-15h00. For
more information, call 046 622 9411.
Saints Bistro & Inn
Saints Bistro & Inn is located on High Street and is Grahamstowns fine dining flagship. The candle-lit restaurant
offers an array of vegetarian dishes - created with organic
herbs and vegetables - and radiates an atmosphere of indulgence, according to their website. Nevertheless, Saints has
become a student favourite due to its affordable food, weekly
meal and drink specials and cheaper exam-time menu. A
veggie favourite is the four cheese pasta, which somehow
tastes even better on a 2-for-1 Pasta Tuesday. Saints Bistro is
located at 131 High Street and is open Monday to Saturday
from 11h30-22h30 and on Sundays from 11h30-15h00. For
deliveries, call 046 622 3007.

Tablet: Not recommended

Tablets are odd devices since they bridge the roles of
PCs and mobile phones. Functionally, they are very
versatile, but practically they often go unused. At
best, a tablet may be used for the occasional digital
textbook or light note-taking, but for everything else
a laptop or decent Android or iOS smartphone will
capably fill the role of a tablet.
External storage (USB sticks/external hard drives):
Crucial
Whether you are taking an assignment to a university computer to print or just backing up your
feverishly written assignments, external storage will
be very important. Be sure to mark all your storage
items both externally and on a document saved on
the device so that other students can return them if
you leave them in a computer lab by mistake.
Cellphone: Crucial for administrative reasons
Cellphones are common, but they are also very
important at university. Besides the obvious social
aspect, communicating with the university (receiving results, for example) is streamlined through
SMSs and phone calls. Additionally, important people such as sub-wardens should be able to contact
you in an emergency.
Higher end phones particularly Android and
iOS phones can access most websites. This makes
resources like RUConnected and webmail easily
available to students in lectures and tutorials.
While this list may sound very daunting, and potentially very expensive, do
not worry. If you have not got a PC, tablet or high-end cellphone the university
has plenty of resources for you to use and as long as you have the basics, you will
be fine.

The data drain: smartphones and WiFi at Rhodes University

Bracken Lee-Rudolph
Scitech
Mobile data is a constant battle for
most smartphone owners as they
struggle through their prepaid
budget or contract restrictions,
or even a combination of both.
However, even though university
brings about new challenges in data
management, these may not be as
daunting as they seem.
Eduroams new policies allow
students to connect multiple devices
to the campus WiFi network without

the lengthy registration process that

Resnet requires. This process was active on eduroam until mid-2014. The
new policy means that, barring a few
areas (largely walks between lecture
venues), students on campus have
access to high speed internet which
is easily logged into via their iOS and
Android devices.
Jeffrey Fuller, a Computer Science
student and Grahamstown resident,
noted his decreased data usage since
the eduroam policies changed. [I]
wasnt really affected until [the]
third term when the policy changed

and I could connect my phone to the

WiFi, Fuller explained. Since then I
havent used mobile data much at all
because Ive had WiFi at home and
at university.
Linguistics student Brad Lang was
positive about the speeds and connectivity he experienced, although he
felt that the WiFi cut out in odd places.
The speeds are just unparalleled,
and its very easy to connect to, Lang
said. I do have a problem with the
consistency and range; sometimes Ill
just randomly disconnect in zones that
seem like they should have WiFi, but

thats my only hassle.

The only places where students may
have to use mobile data to a greater
extent are in residences, where eduroam may not reach students rooms,
or in outside accommodation (digs)
where either home WiFi or no internet
is available.
That said, with the majority of
students time spent on campus,
their data usage will likely be greatly
reduced after registering on the eduroam network, restricted only by their
internet quotas and devices connection quality.

The speeds
are just
unparalleled,
and its
very easy to
connect to

Brad Lang,
Linguistics student

7 February 2015 The Oppidan Press

15

Art & Entertainment

Lax to direct Amazing Other Show

Ellen Heydenrych

ith skits that depict what goes on in

the lives of Grahamstowns student
population, The Amazing Other
Show is set to wow audiences yet again in 2015.
The show imaginatively deals with a wide range
of pertinent issues and has become a quirky,
theatrical how-to guide for first-years.
The Amazing Other Show explores varsity life
relating specifically to Rhodes, said cast member
Georgina Graaf. Graaf believes that the show
is integral to the first-year experience, teaching
many a lesson in a clever and humorous manner.
The production, which is compulsory viewing for
first-years, raises issues regarding race, gender,
class and other pertinent differences between
students. Graaf explained that, The show allows
for funny everyday happenings as well as for
more serious topics to be confronted. Whether
they are relatable to every student or to one, it is
extremely valuable to have a platform to explore
these things.
The 2015 production of The Amazing
Other Show will be directed by Rhodes Masters
graduate Hannah Lax. In 2014, Lax devised and

directed Solo, an acclaimed piece of theatre that

won the title of Best Student Theatre Production
at the National Arts Festival. Lax describes the
2015 production as provocative: Were coming
in hard, witticism a-blazing, tongues firmly in
cheeks and funny as hell.
Each year the production of The Amazing Other Show is altered with the addition or removal
of skits to accommodate the constantly changing issues and lifestyle which it represents. Ciko
Sidzumo, who worked with Lax on Solo, signed
on as one of the cast members of this years show.
Sidzumo said, Im so excited to be working with
Hannah again. She is an incredible director with a
beautifully vivid imagination.
Graaf described this years dynamic cast as
extremely versatile. This description emphasises
the unique theatrical strengths specific to each
cast member that adds new dimensions to each
years production. It ranges from outstanding
Rhodes drama students to community performers, Lax said.
With a new twist, some important life lessons, and the ability to prepare first-years for
the exciting times that lie ahead of them, The
Amazing Other Show is guaranteed to get

Drinking, dancing,
gaming, performing:
societies made to entertain
Demi Drew
Rhodes University has a number of
clubs and societies geared towards
Arts and Entertainment, all of which
offer students the chance to unwind
and socialise.
In order to join their society (or societies) of choice, students must pay an
annual membership fee which societies
use to fund various events throughout
the year. The following list introduces
just some of the societies on offer.
Wine Tasting Society
The Wine Tasting Society aims to
cultivate friendships and create a space
for wine lovers to interact and enjoy the
experience of learning about new wines
through weekly and monthly tastings.
The society also holds a picnic twice a
year which includes all members and
their guests.
The Wine Tasting Society should
never be mistaken for a drinking society, but rather a place for members to
learn about the art of wine, said chairperson Zoe Tobie. It is an extremely
educational experience.
GameSoc
The Gaming Society aims to provide
a steady source of entertainment for all
its members. The society has weekly
events including Meta Mondays, casual
card and board gaming nights as well as
table-top gaming.
Aside from their weekly events,
GameSoc also hosts LANs once a term
during which members can bring their

PCs to a single venue for a weekend of

continuous play.
GameSoc is also known for running
the annual campus-wide Humans vs.
Zombies (HvZ) event in which all
students and staff may take part. HvZ
takes place over the course of a week
and involves players trying to remain
humans for as long as possible.
DanceSoc
The Dance Society is the perfect
society for passionate dancers as well as
beginners who are interested in learning
to dance. The society practices three
times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Sundays. On Tuesdays there is an
open class with a different style being
taught every two weeks (e.g. hip hop,
jazz or ballet) while Thursdays and
Sundays are reserved for Ballroom and
Latin American dancing.
The society also selects a few members to participate in the Ballroom and
Latin Student Nationals in August.
Live Music Society
The Live Music Society organises a
place for students to get together and
enjoy a variety of live music, mostly
from local acts. Members get discounted or free entrance into all of the
societys events, or events where they
provide sound equipment.
The society allows members to
learn about sound equipment in a
live music setting as well as giving
members the opportunity to get more
involved in the society, as a performer
or an organiser.

first-year students laughing as well as thinking

seriously about the issues raised. A rollercoaster
of emotions and experiences, the show cannot be
anything but true to its name.

Were
coming
in hard,
witticism
a-blazing,
tongues
firmly in
cheeks and
funny as hell
Hannah Lax,
The Amazing Other
Show 2015 Director

The Amazing Other Show has been an important teaching tool for new Rhodes students
for a number of years, with annual alterations
keeping the show relevant for new audiences.
Image: SOURCED

Purple Thursday legacy lives on

Bronwyn Pretorius
Purple, signifying ambition and
self-assuredness, is an apt symbol
for Rhodes University whose
motto is Where Leaders Learn.
Its more than just the colour,
it has to do with our institutional
culture and how we as a university
unite and stand together as a family;
as a home for all, said former Students Representative Council (SRC)
President Brad Bense.
The choice of purple as Rhodes
signature colour has a rich history
based on the 1989 slogan The
Purple Shall Govern. The slogan
was created when apartheid police
used canons containing purple dye
to mark anti-apartheid protesters
during a state of emergency march.
The dye was meant to help officials

identify and arrest the protesters.

In defiance, the protesters coined
the phrase The Purple Shall Govern, based on the 1955 Freedom
Charters slogan The People Shall
Govern. In addition to this, Rhodes
alumnus and anti-apartheid activist
Dr Margaret Nash helped edit the
1991 book The Purple Shall Govern.
In choosing the colour purple,
Rhodes hoped to mirror the 1989
protesters unity against racial, economic and religious inequalities.
One attempt to attain this goal is
the Purple Thursday initiative. An
SRC-run initiative, Purple Thursday
began in 2012 with the aim of using
the Universitys trademark colour
to encourage a sense of cohesion
among students. It does so by encouraging Rhodes students to wear
something purple every Thursday.

Many at Rhodes have embraced

the initiative. No matter what
religion or group you are from on
a Thursday we unite, said Alumni
Relations and Annual Fund Officer
Terryl McCarthy. Purple Thursday
will never die. Indeed, celebrating
Purple Thursday often continues
after graduation. It has become a
day where Rhodes alumni all over
the world wear purple, said McCarthy. The University definitely has
a positive impact on those who have
been here, agreed Rhodes Creative
Consultant Adrian Ciesielski. Seeing the day work around the world
is testament to this.
Clearly then, purple is not simply
a colour formed by uniting the tranquillity of blue and the intensity of
red; it is a colour that unites Rhodes
students and alumni worldwide.

Delectable Delights offers a wide range of baked goods,

but specialises in a variety of cupcake flavours.
We provide baked goods in almost any flavour you can
imagine and will personally deliver the cupcakes to you.
If you are planning a party (or any event) and would like
some decadent sweet treats, please contact Nicola on
0827009646 or visit the Facebook page!

New and improved

Rhodes Dictionary

Rhodes women on
green frontlines

Sports

Kimara Singh

Rhodes underwater
hockey teams shine

he Rhodes mens and womens

underwater hockey teams
headed out to Stellenbosch in
December 2014 to participate in the
annual South African Hockey Inter
Clubs Tournament. Both the mens
and womens teams achieved commendable results in the tournament
despite some challenges.
The mens team, which has competed in the B league for the past few
years, left the 2014 tournament with
silver medals. Meanwhile, the womens
team participated in the A league and
ranked sixth overall.
Of their games played, the mens
team won six, drew one and lost two.
These results are even more commendable given that the team only had three
experienced players. Mens captain
Jonathan Bellingan spoke highly of
the team and their performance. The
silver medal was well earned by the
Rhodes team who had played some
very physical and demanding hockey
over the three days, he said.
Bellingan went on to praise the
Aquatic Centre at Grahamstowns
Diocesan School for Girls where his
team trains saying that the centre
was arguably the best playing surface
in the country.
Adding to the challenges faced
by the Rhodes team is the fact that
students are usually temporary team
members. Bellingan said that this
made the silver medal won by the
mens team even more special. There
are not enough university sides for
there to be a University Sports South
Africa underwater hockey event, and
teams did not have to qualify for the
Stellenbosch tournament. Instead,
teams were invited to participate.
Bellingan spoke proudly of his
teams results, saying that the accomplishment of silverware would not
have been realised without a fantastic

13

Sport at Rhodes: clubs that may interest you

The mens underwater hockey team left Stellenbosch this December sporting
silver medals after competing in the B League, while the womens team came
sixth in the A league. Photo: GABI BELLAIRS-LOMBARD

Gabi Bellairs-Lombard

12

Get your gaming

fix on campus

The silver
medal was
well earned
by the Rhodes
team who
played some
very physical
and demanding
hockey over the
three days
Jonathan Bellingan,
Underwater Hockey
mens captain

effort by the team.

Rhodes womens coach Christine
Coppinger also spoke positively about
her team. Although the womens team
were unable to train properly as a
team before the tournament, the ladies
worked well together during the tournament and their playing improved
during the matches they qualified for,
Coppinger stated.
Coppinger added that scouting
and developing new players is very
important as the Rhodes team always
has a high turnover. The womens team
only managed to beat one competitor
but Coppinger said that they never
let defeat get them down and learned
much from the experience. We all
had a great tournament, she added.
Coppinger further said that the
Rhodes ladies are apparently one of
the more responsible club teams, as the
ladies were put down for more chief
reffing duties than most other teams!
Overall both the mens and womens
teams achieved positive results, both in
silverware and experience, and hope to
make further progress in the run up to
the 2015 National Hockey Tournament
in March.

Rugby
Rhodes hosts an internal rugby
league that runs from the beginning of the year to the end of term
three. Signing up for this league
will give you game time and
exposure if you wish to play
for one of the Rhodes rugby
teams which are also active
during the first three terms
and compete in various
tournaments throughout
the year.
Hockey
The universitys mens and
womens hockey teams focus more
on representing Rhodes than on
internal league games. The club
offers opportunities to play hockey
both socially and competitively.
According to Rhodes hockey chairperson Michelle du Toit,
The hockey club is renowned for its spirit. Joining the hockey club is like
joining a family. Du Toit
added that, Sport brings
people closer together
and this unity is
personified in
the hockey
clubs nature and spirit. Rhodes
hockey player Cody van Wyk was
chosen to represent South Africa at
the Youth Olympics, as well as winning the Rhodes Sportsman of the
Year award in 2014.
Soccer
The soccer club works with an
internal league competition that
runs parallel to a league cup
campaign. Both competitions
run from the beginning of
the first term to the
end of the third term.
Rhodes boasts both
mens and womens
soccer teams. Marc
Lovatt, former
internal league and
referees coordinator said, You
can participate in the internal
league, whether it is for your
res side, or external club. It also gives
you the opportunity to try to represent the university in your sports
code of choice which comes with
different tours and Intervarsity.
Rowing
The highlight for the rowing club
and Rhodes students alike is the annual Boat Race event which happens in early September. A lot of
practice and preparation for this
event takes place
throughout the
year. As a

Rowing is highly competitive at Rhodes, with the annual Boat Race

drawing huge crowds. Photo: DANIELLA PALLOTTA

Soccer remains popular at both

internal league and varsity levels.
Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

Rhodes rugby provides players with

both skills training and on-field
experience. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA

first year, you will be exposed to the

hard work that comes with being on
a rowing team but also the spirit and
adventure that the sport has to offer.

Participating in sports while at university is important if one would like

to be a well-rounded, determined
and mentally tough graduate. These
are qualities prized by many employers. However, training and races are
not compulsory. The club happily
welcomes those who wish to jog with
a group once or twice a week.

Cricket
The cricket club provides opportunities to play in both the longer
and shorter formats (40 overs and
20 overs respectively). Joining any
sports club allows first years to meet
many other people in a different
environment compared
to that of the lecture
venue or on campus, said
2013/2014 cricket chairperson Shane Murphy.
Murphy went on to add
that cricket is a very
social game, making
it a great way to
get to know
different
people.
Athletics
Athletics is the
oldest sporting club
at Rhodes University.
The club started in 1909
with only road running,
but has grown to also
include track and field,
triathlon and cross-country events. The club caters
for both social and competitive
athletes. Neo Mohapi, chairperson of Rhodes University Athletics
Club said, First years should join
athletics because it is amazing!

Underwater Hockey
Captain of the mens underwater
hockey team Jonathan Bellingan said,
We offer something completely
different to anything the majority of school students would
have been exposed to before. As
a club we offer dive courses and dive
trips and underwater hockey, a great
way to experience water-sports and a
change to the repetitiveness of swimming lengths in a pool. As a first
year student you are at university to
broaden your horizons and try new
things and the underwater club offers
you that perfect opportunity.
While this is just a small selection
of sporting clubs that Rhodes has to
offer, it is clear that joining any of
the sports clubs at the University is
a great way to meet people outside
of the lecture theatre. So if you have
the passion and dedication for any
particular sport, make sure to sign
up and enjoy the journey that it takes
you on throughout the year.