Nature be Dammed!

By Kerry-Leigh East

Scratches, long grass, irritation, dirt, snake holes share a common factor of being part of nature of which I, Kerry-Leigh East am not a fan.

So seven of my friends and I decided to study at the pool on Saturday only to find out the pool was closed. Not to be easily put out we decided to go to the dam behind Chris Hani House. Donning big sunglasses, shorts, sun-block loads of enthusiasm and handbags we ventured into the wild.

The flag post for danger was having to get into the dam area through a small hole in the side of the fence. Now naturally if there is a fence it means we are not meant to enter, however enthusiasm seemed to override logic at this point. Confidently we continued our adventure.

As beautiful as nature was I could not help feeling uncomfortable striding through long brown grass with the sounds of insects unseen surrounding me. After jumping over streams, being severely scratched by unfriendly tree branches and clambering up steep banks we decided it best to give up. AND we had not even reached the dam. Needless to say after fears of being lost in the wilderness forever we found our way back to civilisation with a few scratches and much more respect for nature.

Nature shall remain beautiful and pristine from the comfort of my bedroom widow untouched by humans.

"Blogs are dead. Write a book."

Sara Garrun

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Looking for a blog with a temper? Rant-a-view has razor-sharp wit and controversial topics. This blog is for readers with chutzpah!

Rant-a-view is a blog that very simply has done what its title says it does, it rants. From angry outbursts about Obama’s unfulfilled promises to the conniving ways of women, Rant-a-view has most certainly got a temper. The views of the bloggers are candid and unpretentious, and although objectivity may not be an evident characteristic of this blog, it was never their intention.

Rant-a-view opposes the way media has been used in so many instances to confuse, indoctrinate and pacify the public who greedily drink it up without a second thought as to who the source may be or what the effects of such media content are. Alternative sources of information are presented by the bloggers of Rant-a-view to counteract this kind of mainstream media, and as they have said themselves, they are in a fight against the large corporation’s dominance and control over almost all facets of the media.

Yet, even with their antagonism towards conventional or mainstream media, rant-a-view has managed to keep the tone of their blog somewhat upbeat, making sure their temper has not turned into a forum for sulking students. They have done this by merging their dislikes with razor-sharp wit and an almost satirist sense of humour. Simple posts such as "blogs are dead. write a book" are what keep readers coming back for more, thankfully, as without it this blog would have become cynical rather than controversial.

This blog will appeal to others who are weary of the clichéd writing styles of today and the news agencies whose agendas are not always to bring the public unbiased, well-researched news. This blog is for readers who are as spirited as its writers are, and for those with real chutzpah!

A Pieace on Paper

If you are at all interested in what young women and a guy are getting up- which you should- then The Paper Trail09 is a treasure chest for your curiosity. There's a hybrid of creativity that makes the thought provoking issues covered on this blog relevant to the young people it caters to, who thought that the current buzz around Obama's Nobel Peace Prize would critically be taken on by first year students. Don't be fooled these aren't nerds, they party hard to- if their pics are anything to go by. Not many blogs on the net can capture the essence of their post through a picture, further very few blogs are have the graphic visual elements to keep you following their post.

If you thought varsity students were boring snobs, then these young and vibrant citizens will prove you wrong. A definite favourite post is titled Too Faat??? the topic of weight and weight loss has been covered expansively, but I kept coming back to read this post because not only was it well written . But the author expressed them self articulately and shared a piece of themselves on the matter so well that I was comfortable with what I was reading and could relate to what was being said.

The best reason that this blog would get a 5 star rating from me would be the wide variety of topics covered, there's a definite sense of creative freedom. Every post talks to a different part of life.

Reviewing Reading, Writing and Chatter

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When I first looked at the blog Reading Writing and Chatter, found on http://readingwritingandchatter.blogspot.com/ I thought, Wow, that’s a lot of pink. Is this supposed to be a blog for girls or females only? However, when I took the time to further analyse the blog and read some of the writers thoughts, I realised that their discussions and their posts were quite relevant.
I found it really interesting that they had had so many posts since they recently came into existence on blogspot.com. Their different stories make the four contributors of the blog seem very diverse in their thinking. They average stories relating to politics and just general thoughts. I specifically enjoyed the posts “Bitches Brew” and “Kids in JOZA”. I found that their blog was easy to read and it was relevant to current issues and an interest to those just wanting to hear other people’s thoughts. I would however consider changing the colour a bit as it gives a perception that the blog is very female dominated in thought and in access and that is not very inviting to others who might want to read and comment on the blog. Too much pink.
Overall, I would give a 7 out of ten for this blog.

It's all in the name...

There’s a saying from a wise person from a few hundred years ago about “It’s all in the name”

and how true it is for the name is the first thing which attracted me to this blog. Note Pads and Deadlines… Any journalist would be able to relate to this as journalists lives’ revolve around taking notes and meeting deadlines.

The spiral bound note pad layout of the blog is yet another feature any journalist would recognise with each new post appearing on a new “page” of the note pad. Easy to read and user friendly overall. The slightest problem occurring with the bog archive as it was difficult to discern the grey typing against a black and grey tweed.

What was most interesting about the blog was the riveting and diverse content which provided a twist to each topic addressed. An article such as “In the interest of reconciliation” is just one example of the topic addressed which is pertinent to South Africa and journalism students as a whole.

Overall this blog receives 7.5 out of 10 for overall presentation, awareness of issues relevant to student journalists and simple readibility.

Quit Smoking... ?

I recently discovered an interesting piece on the web that discusses the reasons why people smoke. I was amazed at how accurately the writer described the benefits and the satisfaction a smoker receives from smoking and I thought, Wow, finally something truthful about smoking. Yes the consequences of our bad habit could prove to be fatal, but when you a smoker - you rarely think about cancer. In fact, I bet a study will show that people who smoke cigarettes think less about cancer than non-smokers do... ?


So I heroicly decided to stop smoking just for a day and see what happens. I imagined that I would be in great mental and emotional pain because when I run out of smokes, I don't care if the last R20 in my wallet was supposed to be for food, it's now going to be used to buy that box of smokes. Ultimately, forcing myself not to smoke for a wole day was going to be challenging.
Just a short historical review on the type of smoker I am; I wake up thinking of a cigarette and rush through brushing my teeth and washing my face so that I can have my first cigarette and only then do I jump into the shower. After every meal, I must have a cigarette. Before I go to bed, I must have a cigarette. When I'm out with friends, I must have more than one cigarette. So naturally I am far from what you would call a social smoker, smoking is part of who I am. Nevertheless, I gave this daunting task a try and was confident that I would make it.

I didn't expect to wake up that Tuesday morning with so much regret and remorse that I had decided to attempt this. Getting into the shower and getting changed took me much longer than it usually does because most of the time I was thinking of just lighting up that cancer stick! I felt like a bus just hit me and I still had to rush off to an 8:40 tutorial. It seemed as though everyone I saw that morning was my enemy. Seeing people laughing and happy while I was having a mental breakdown for a smoke just didn't seem fair. I endured it until my tutorials ended at 10:20 and I took that slow but angry walk back up to my res. Idecided to have a nap until lunch because there was absolutely nothing that I could do, without having a cigarette. I felt no motivation at all. The napping didn't work out at all. So I decided to eat. I ate and ate and ate and ate until 12pm. I walked to the dining hall with my long face and sat down with my friends. Before I begin to relate to you my burst of anger I feel it is necesary to first explain a few personalities that join our table for lunch. The one is famous for her randomness and her inabililty to say the right/ normal things in a crowd. The second is a BSC student who never comes out of her room unless its time to eat and even when she does eat, she talks about work. As soon as that last piece of chicken is down her throat, my mind melodiously sings to the whining sound of her voice that says: "Okay guys, I have to go now I have soooo much of work to do!" Now imagine not having a cigarette for the entire day and having these personalities rubbed into your face for lets say an hour, that's of course non-smoker time. For me, it felt like 3 hours, 43 minutes and 16 seconds! How could I not get angry. To the one I demanded she attend classes to improve her social abilities and to the other I declared she just stay in her room forever and learn science the whole day because really, she is wasting her time eating... the poor food also needs some attention! Are you wondering if I felt remorse? Not really, I felt it was appropriately said and well overdue.

Okay so lunch didn't turn out that well but now I was faced with the worst part of the day. I had just finished eating; more than I usually do, and I couldn't smoke. I went back to my room, avoiding every conversation possible with my friends because it all seemed so trivial. "Hey Aneesa, how is your day going?" Like why would you ask me that? Does it matter? Are you bored? Like why is it your business anyway? .. Was a typical response from me that day.

So I lay on my bed trying to me mature about this whole thing. I feel bad because I missed two lectures because I simply did not feel like going. I wanted a cigarette. I began to have these mental wars with myself about how this whole experiment is so stupid and that there was no point to it. No I thought, I can pull this off if I just push it till 5pm. But I couldn't and I didn't want to. I went to my mates room, demanded my cigarettes from her, went outside and lit that cigarette up like it was the best thing in the world. The best part is, it was 4:30pm! But it couldn't wait. I love being a smoker and I know that I will stop smoking one day, that day is just not today.

If you love smoking and you are tired people telling you how bad smoking is, please visit http://smokingsides.com/docs/whysmoke.html

Shabeen Queen

There's nothing more restricting than comfort, it destroys all chance of new discoveries and experience. That's what this weekend revealed to me, an idea that I have been against since the beginning of this year, in fact since I became of the partying age. Not once in my life did I think I'd find myself having a hell of a good time in a tarven.
Yes a Tarven! As a security a measure I left all the valuables I usually take out with me, the phone, the pears, the lip gloss and breath mint. I've heard doge stories about township night outs. When we arrived the place was already packed, and to my surprise there was order-people were queuing to get in, no one was being stabbed, no funky kasi brothers trying to get some and one was walking around with an open scalp.

The music kept me dancing from the moment I lay my foot inside till the break of down. I have been missing out on some good vibes all this while and there's no one to blame but myself, for being comfortable in my suburban comfort zone. Right now I stand proudly as shabeen queen wannabe, not only is that environment live and groovy but when there's a sense that the people around you have your back, everybody dances with anyone- without any funny stares. And unlike the town vibes, people in the township get down. As soon as exams are over and done with, I'll be taking the first taxi out to my little jam spot to dance away the exam blues.

Flummoxing eigon vectors.... not for the faint at heart!

As a student of the arts, numbers have never been my forte. Failing maths with 33% on standard grade in when I was 15 was a compelling enough reason for my parents to allow me to drop it, thankfully, as I can barely repeat my own cell phone number when asked to.

To say the least, I have not been anywhere near a maths class for 5 years. So when asked to put myself in a situation I was not accustomed to, I thought it would be enough to attend a second year maths lecture. If I said that nothing made any sense to me it would be an understatement, I

am convinced it was another language. Words like differential equations, diagonal matrices and eigon vectors were used, the board filled with numbers that looked to me like a scene from A Beautiful Mind. One of the students even told me mathematics was in fact the same as philosophy if you think about it, structured arguments and such. “Not true” I said, “philosophy is at least in English!”

In the end it was very clear that I did not belong in this ‘vector vicinity’, even the lecturer pointed me out as being “someone who clearly does not do mathematics and can’t possibly be numerically inclined” All in all it was definitely something new and I can safely say I will never be going back.

Successful Journalist does not equal Journalism Degree

Tweet: Successful Journalist does not equal Journalism Degree! http://tinyurl.com/yh8bdxz

The moment one hears Rhodes University you think Journalism. But who decided you must have a degree to become a successful journalist?

As much as I aspire to become a good journalist I can’t help but wonder why a degree in journalism is necessary to do so. I concede that’s important as you get more in depth information about the media world especially at Rhodes where your fourth year is specialised. Surely however if you are dedicated to what it is you want to do, you could reach your gaols without the degree.

The journalism course this year did not provide me with further inspiration to become a journalist. Rather the practical experience I gained working at a newspaper helped clarify and remind me why I wanted to be a journalist in the first place. A

So, wouldn’t it be more helpful for some people to start as a trainee journalist at a cadet school and from there work your way up as you learn more about the field. Surely a news agency would prefer to hire an applicant who has the field experience over one who has academic backing without practical experience.

I think with a career such as journalism, if one has drive, ambition and passion you could become a successful journalist-without a degree in journalism.

We are in the midst of a planetary crisis...put down that MacDonald’s!

Sara Garrun

Tweet: We are in the midst of a planetary crisis and your overindulgence is the cause! Vegetarianism could save our planet for the next generation!

Global Warming- Not only is this phenomenon accelerating immense damage towards the environment; it is also one of the biggest euphemisms used today. It should be called global heating, or better yet, the massacre of animals across the globe in an attempt to feed our own self-interest.

This is my argument as to why vegetarianism may be one solution.

FACT: there is 1.4 billion cubic kilometres of water on the planet. 2.5% of this is fresh water. Of this, 70% is ice. This leaves only 8000km2 of fresh water available to us and of this, we use 50% of it per annum.

So what does this have to do with vegetarianism?

Well, for every kilogram of grain produced, 1000 litres of water is used. For every kilogram of meat produced, 10 kg of grain is used. This means that for 1kg of meat, 10 000 litres of water is used. This is an onslaught on our environment and there is no justification for it beyond pure greed. Our most precious commodity is literally going down the drain.

Now let us move onto the issue of carbon emission.

FACT: The animals we eat emit 21% of all the carbon dioxide that can be credited to human activity. This means that if we were to eliminate livestock we would be able to lower the carbon emissions that are heating the atmosphere with such devastating consequence.

These are just two incentives from an ocean of reasons as to why you going vegetarian could save the planet for the next generation.

Just a thought on Varsity Life!

I'm a Sucker for Rhodes Parties!

After a hard day’s work, you know that once you head back to res and your eyes slowly roll over that colourful icon that says 'DC', you belong to the devil. True Blood, Gossip Girls and whatever else we keep ourselves occupied with seems to have absolutely no end to it.
Friday comes and you know that all that DC watching has left you with nothing but 2500 word essays due for Monday. You've done about 99 words which took you forever to do, but hey, it's a cause for celebration right?So you have a mental war for about half an hour about how this weekend is the weekend that you sit at home and you complete all your work, and before you know it your friends are in your room and you use their presence as the perfect excuse as to why you can't do that politics tut because really guys? Who wants to think International Relations on this wonderful Friday evening?
As if waking up on a Sunday afternoon and then working under all that pressure to meet Turn it In's deadline of 23:55 isn't bad enough; you wake up Monday with full of promises of how this week is going to be the week of dedication. But wait... It's Monday and you pray that non of your Cougar Monday mates call you for what they refer to as an 'Epic' evening, making a note of all the different excuses you are going to give them until that little thought comes saying: 'I’ll be back before 1pm. And right then you know, you are a sucker for Rhodes Parties!

English Please

The past 24 months in South African politics have been very active and stimulating, I have attended many political gatherings, debates meetings and campaigns. Politicians have been making news and I have attentively listened and engage with their inspiring massages.

These patriotic and driven men and women speak a different language when given a mic and a podium. Literally, a completely different style of grammar, vocab and syntax, not like the English you learnt in school,one of the significant characteristics of a politician/comrade/veteran of the struggle, their words are not like our words. Notice in rallies when politicians speak, there are words that break any kind of cultural or linguistic barrier, when comrades are gathered together the language they speak speaks to them more than it does the audience, because honestly nobody really understands. Comrade vocab beats the politically inclined, this is not academic jargon. This is on the street with the masses political language. “Comrade, your statement is pregnant please deliver” or “Comrade that statement is perpendicular to the policy mandate, that which is stated in clause 62 of the constitution founded by cadres, in last year’s imbizo.” Or “If you listen to the recent newspapers they are saying very loudly that there are factions breaking within the structure”. My point exactly. Not only are such statement ridiculously long and redundant but they make absolutely no sense.

These are the kind of words that have seen through revolutions and political movements and they will keep doing so till somebody raises their hand during a caucus meeting and enquires, “Comrade I have a query to helicopt, will the comrade please filter and refine the fundamental essence that which is captured in your message?”

AWB! Stop Right There.

By Kerry-Leigh East

Tweet: #rublogs Do NOT SPLIT SOUTH AFRICA! AWB get over yourself and stop spoiling our country.http://youngculturesemporiu...

The AWB is at it again. In an interview with Mail and Guardian Newspaper, Eugene Terre’Blanche revealed that they want to have their own republic for Afrikaners. I say NO! How is allowing this going to help strengthen and build a better South Africa?

According to the United Nations Charter, if a group of people feel they are being discriminated against economically and culturally they may become a self determined state and then support themselves independently from outside influence. This is the main problem with the AWB’s claim. Afrikaners are not being culturally stigmatized against nor are they suffering economically.

The point is Afrikaners are as much a part of South Africa as everyone else. What would our diverse country be like without the smells of braais on a Saturday afternoon and a group of people watching rugby together (Africans, Coloureds, Indians and Afrikaners alike)? Consider for a moment the mutual rejoice felt by South Africans when the bid for the 2010 Soccer World Cup was won. For a moment, everyone forgot their prejudices and loved the land we live in.

By allowing Afrikaners to have their own republic, we would be tearing up a vital part of our country’s heritage and depriving our country of what is vital to it running successfully. Perhaps if the government encouraged the involvement of the Afrikaans community more, such ludicrous ideas would not arise.

Doomed for failure by global expectation

Sara Garrun

Tweet: And the award goes to- Obama! (for ambition)Science to- Michelle! (for their amazing chemistry) and literature to-me! For writing this post.

Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Firstly, all Obama has offered is a handful of promises, and pure ambition is not praise worthy to the extent that actions are. Yes, Obama has given hope to a nation but we must realise that the majority of the promises he has made are still unfilled. Guantanamo Bay is open and running, there has been no resolution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his illustrious health plan has not yet materialised.

Secondly we must realise that an award for diplomacy is dubious in itself. Randolph Bourne once said “Diplomacy is a disguised war, in which states seek to gain by barter and intrigue... the objectives which they would have to gain more clumsily by means of war.” So although the jury feels justified in their decision, Obama could still have ulterior motives.

Every president offers these promises, what makes Obama different? Dare I say it… he is the first black president in the United States as well as being the successor to Bush.

One must also take a moment to see what the other nominees had to offer. Morgan Tsvangirai has been fighting for democracy in Zimbabwe for over a decade; he has been jailed, tried for treason, tortured and robbed of an election victory by his wicked opponent Mugabe.

Lastly, it is important to note that even if Obama is deserving of his award, he is now doomed for failure by global expectation.

Aljazeera is Arab! Leave it at that!

Tweet: Aljazeera is Arab. Leave it at that!

The recent bid by the pro Israeli media Tycoon Haim Saban to buy half of the Aljazeera network has left me feeling hopeless that by the time I have completed my degree in journalism, there will be no international news channel that reports ethical journalism. He was turned down once before in 2004 but is trying his luck once again. Aljazeera is the largest Middle East news network but is reported to be experiencing some financial difficulties currently. Saban is said to be making an offer of five billion dollars to purchase half of the entire network. I cannot understand how a network like Aljazeera, who receives funding annually from the Qatari government, can be suffering a financial crisis. Where would millions of people, including Arabs turn to for unbiased news if this deal is to go through? Aljazeera is the only international news channel that I watch in South Africa, if it gets sold to someone whose intentions are to create a pro Israeli perception within the Arab world (he is also a huge supporter of the right-wing Netanyahu government), then I would have difficulty in maintaining that spark I have for cutting edge journalism. As if having most of the other major news channels in the world like CNN, BBC, Sky and FOX news brain wash millions of people every day with their pro Zionist ideas isn't enough, we will now all be, like most of the worlds States and poltical leaders already are, puppets and lovers of a government who makes money out of killing innocent people.


I turn red when I hear of the Israeli's hawkish plans to destroy what's left of freedom of speech!

Conflict Diamonds

Humanitarian Injustice

Word's worth

The power of the mind is almost powerless if we don’t realize the power in words. Big words, small words, whatever meaning they hold to us personally there is no denying that a string of alphabets can end up in something are powerful and dynamic. Through language we use words to connect, communicate, reason and reflect.

"Sticks and stones may brake my bones will never hurt", maybe for insensitive souls but words can do worse damage than a stick or stone. I'd rather focus on words with the purpose to heal, whether one keeps a book of quotes by humanitarians and philanthropist or reads those keep well magazines there is a moment when reading that one escapes from this universe and is welcomed into the world in between the lines. The short moment engaging with the reality presented by what you read introduces you to things that you wouldn't have known if you didn't read. T.V is good but hollywood wouldn't survive without books( novels, comics). This is just a thought read more...

Rhodes University Law Student