2013: Edition 10

VarsityTHE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

10 September 2013 VOLUME 72: EDITION 10 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper 10 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper 10 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper

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VARSITY, the o� cial student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.

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SINCE

1942

Krysia Gaweda

As the 2013 SRC elections commenced on Monday,

September 9th, students were able to meet the new candidates hoping to be voted onto the 2014 SRC.

� ere are a total of 26 candidates running, the current political breakdown is: 11 DASO, six SASCO, four BLVCK (an independent coalition) and four other independent candidates. Furthermore, three current (2013) SRC members, Mangi Gondwe, Keenan Hendrickse and Lwazi Somya, will also be re-running.

Jessica Breakey, a BLVCK alli� ated SRC candidate, speaks on her orgnaisation: “BLVCK is a play on the word “black” we swapped the V and A because our slogan is a ‘Vision of Action’.”

With candidates studying an array of degrees, majority being in the Humanities faculty, it seems that next years potential SRC candidates will bring new outlooks and fresh ideas onto the SRC council.

With the 2012 SRC Elections still fresh in memory, there are concerns that a repeat of the elections controversy could occur. In order to combat such concerns, the UCT Council approved new SRC Election Regulations earlier this year on June 15th.

� ese regulations were put in place to create transparency, as well as address the issue of equity and apply to Faculty Council elections in addition to the SRC elections. � e new regulations oversaw the Faculty Council Elections that commenced on August 26th.

Last year’s elections saw the seven current DASO SRC candidates being removed from their seats on the 2013 SRC, a� er alleged misconduct during elections. � ese misconducts included the incorrect usage of electronic voting as well as over expenditure (the DASO candidates were later reinstated on appeal).

� e Election Regulations is an outcome of the ruling by Professor Hugh Corder that the SRC election by-laws be revised. � is was part

SRC election by-laws reviewedof his ruling on the appeals as to the validity of the 2012 SRC elections results.

Owing to this, and in order to improve the Election Regulations, a working group was set up to dra� the Election Regulations. It also served to consult UCT students in the � rst semester of 2013. � e work group considered national and international good practice and approaches on student governance elections.

Edwina Brooks, Director of Student Development, explained that students played a large role in setting up the Election Regulations.

“� ere are many new rules that have been put in place to ensure transparency and accountability during the election process, we don’t want these rules however, to dampen student participation in the election,” commented Brooks.

On August 31st, Council approved the four clauses that dealt with the percentage poll of the Election Regulations and SRC Constitutional amendments.

� ese clauses dealt with how the required percentage poll is de� ned, how vacancies are � lled, and the powers of an interim SRC. Whilst these issues were not problems in the 2012 SRC elections, they arose due to the comprehensive review of the by-laws.

� e poll clauses are about the most appropriate formulation for the SRC election poll in regards to the increasing number and proportion of postgraduate students.

DASO UCT Branch leader Emma Jones Phillipson, stated that “DASO fully respects the new regulations put in place since the last SRC Elections (2012)”. She said that DASO believes they will create “a far more civil election environment”.

Kealeboga Ramaru, SASCO UCT Chairperson, stated that SASCO too

welcomed the new amendments made to the elections by-laws.

“As an organisation [SASCO] that believes in fairness, we support the strides taken by the elections committee to ensure that this year’s elections are free and fair for all candidates.”

� e regulations replace outdated election by-laws in hope to improve the SRC Election process as a whole. Such improvements included:

� e Election Commission (EC) and Election Appeals Committee

(EAC) are independent from the SRC as well as of each other. � ey have clear requirements to limit con� icts of interests. � e nomination process was improved and streamlined, a better de� nition and requirements for campaigning was speci� ed and explicit requirements for declaring and publishing campaign spending reports.

Neither a candidate nor their support team may provide, request, induce or coerce a voter to use portable electronic devices or

Create transparency and address the issue

of equity.

computers on which to vote.No campaign material, apart

from Election Commission notices, may be displayed within computer labs.

During campaign week, September 9th to September 13th, students are encouraged to attend SRC Election Question and Answer as well as Redsidence Sessions to � nd out more about the SRC candidates.

Visit VARSITY’s website to view all 2014 SRC candidate pro� les: http://varsitynewspaper.co.za/

Image: Tebesutfu Nkambule

Image: Jessica Breakey

Image: Michael Currin

SRC CAMPAIGN WEEK: SRC candidates wishing to run for SRC 2014 now have improved by-laws to aid them.

2 v72 e10 –10 September 2013 newsNews Bites

Student Travel Fund

The Department of Student Affairs invites registered students to

apply for the Student Travel Fund.

The purpose of the fund is to support subsistence and travel

overseas to events that will stimulate intellectual, cultural and

sporting development of the student and the University.

The Student Societies and Organisations Committee is requesting

applications for events and conferences taking place between

November 2013 and May 2014. Students may also apply for

retrospective funding for events that have taken place in 2013.

Closing Date for Applications is 10 October 2013

For more information or to get an application form contact:

[email protected]

021 650 5047

Verbal jousting over Syria causing rifts amongst G20 Nations

RUSSIA – The G20 summit will see Cold War-like divides among G20 nations regarding military intervention in Syria. The United States intends to use military force in Syria whereas Putin regards military intervention without United Nations approval as an “act of aggression”.

-BBC News

Cleveland kidnapper found dead in jail cell

UNITED STATES – Ariel Castro hanged himself in his jail cell on Tuesday, September 3rd after one month in jail. The man from Ohio kidnapped and repeatedly raped three young girls and was sentenced to life, plus 1000 years for his guilty plea last month.

-The Guardian

Cape Town Fish Market TV ad scrapped.

CAPE TOWN - After receiving two complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority deemed the advert discriminatory and offensive to black people as it portrayed black politicians as corrupt. David Berrill, the restaurant’s general manager, apologised for the offence and stated that it was “meant to be humorous”.

-Times Live

DA approaches court over draft electoral bill

CAPE TOWN – The ANC accused the DA of “jumping the gun” after the DA approached the High Court over a draft bill that prevents South Africans overseas from voting in provincial elections. The DA filed the papers on Tuesday, September 3rd on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.

-News24

NBA Star Lamar Odom checks into rehab

LOS ANGELES – Khloe Kardashian’s husband, Lamar Odom, checked into rehab on Wednesday, September 4th less than a week after his arrest for DUI. LA criminal defense attorney Troy Slaten says “it looks good for him to seek treatment”. Court date is set for September 27th.

-E News

New London skyscraper melts cars

LONDON – A new skyscraper in London’s financial district, dubbed the Walkie Talkie for its shape, melted the mirrors and badge on a business owner’s Jaguar due to its intense sunlight reflection capabilities. Developers are frantically working on a quick-fix solution to the sizzling problem.

-The Telegraph

Tk Matsabu

Aisha Abdool Karim

On August 21st the Syrian government allegedly used chemical weapons to launch an attack on civilians. After photographs of the victims were released onto social media websites, President Barack Obama began to seek approval for a military attack on Syria.

Despite Obama’s insistence on taking action against Syria, he has faced multiple hurdles which have slowed down the attack. Obama’s first attempt to seek support at the G20 on September 3rd resulted in Britain announcing they would not support the attack. Furthermore, Russia and China stated that they would retaliate against the US should such an attack occur.

Despite the increasingly negative commentary on the attack and Obama’s wavering confidence, on September 4th the Republican leader John Beohner vocalised the party’s support of Obama’s plans to attack. However, even with Republican support, it appears that there is no consensus within Obama’s own party, the Democrats. The vote amongst the Democrats was split, as some members within the party remain opposed to Obama’s military intervention in areas of conflict in the Middle East.

On September 4th the Senate committee within Congress voted on the issue and due to the split support in the vote – with ten in favour and seven against – Obama has been

US Senate votes on war against Syria

Sandile Tshabalala

On August 26th, UCT students gathered in Leslie Social to deliberate on some of the issues raised by the article: “Responding to changing student needs at UCT”.

Written by UCT’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Crain Soudien, the article was published in the latest New Agenda, a South African journal of social and economic policy.

The panel discussion began with Soudien stating that South African universities have seen drastic changes since 1994. Foremost, the relationship between lecturers and students is very different compared to what it was 19 years ago.

Soudien further noted that today’s culture of teaching gives little space for creativity. The lecturer has a premise of “teaching my children” instead of teaching students to think independently and, in most cases, knowledge production is limited.

Professor Turok, editor of New Agenda, gave an illustration on the mechanical process of teaching in which students turn their heads to the lecturer, then to their textbooks, then to their notes and thereafter to their exams.

Towards an Afropolitan university

Speaking against this method of learning and teaching, Turok argued for a dynamic and visionary process in which all students can academically engage with the social, political and economic issues of this country.

Furthermore, Turok called for students to measure their learning experience alongside South Africa’s transformational parameters. He pointed out that democratising learning also means igniting a spark for students to be deeply involved in finding new ideas to combat challenges in our society.

Lorne Hallendorff, current SRC President, discussed the lack of diversity at UCT, especially through the discrepancy of race representation amongst the

academic staff. He reiterated the need to create a culture of inclusive learning in which the diversity of the university is embraced in and out of the lecture halls.

Hallendorff questioned whether previously disadvantaged students are given the opportunity to belong to and own the culture that is carried out at UCT.

Soudien responded to this by sharing part of his experience as a student at UCT many years ago. He made it clear that in his time, they were not allowed to conform to the norms of their cultures, but rather they were forced to adapt to the culture imposed on them.

Soudien mentioned that this imposition no longer exists, hence

students should and must feel free to express their cultures in order to make UCT recognise and embrace the differences that it has.

What must be realised is that the learning and teaching quality of UCT is a responsibility of both the students and the academic staff.

Every student must be aware that they deserve an education of quality that enables them to think independently and be creative. Lecturers must also be conscious of the diversity of this institution. They should always be open-minded to accommodating differences.

In so doing, UCT will truly become an Afropolitan university that contributes to the betterment of South Africa as well as Africa through knowledge production.

always be open-minded to accommodate

differences

Image: tebesutfu Nkambule

granted limited authority to use force against Syria. This partial approval is the first step for Obama towards winning full Congressional approval for the attack.

The current resolution by Congress stands that the military strike on Syria would be limited to 60 days with a possible extension of an additional 30 days after a consultation with Congress. The resolution by Congress also prohibits the use of American ground troops.

While Obama’s confidence in Congressional support is unwavering, the US President stated, “I did not set a red line. The world set a red line.”

This comment is a reference to a previous statement made by Obama regarding the use of chemical weapons. Obama said that if Assad’s government resorted to chemical warfare, the red line would be crossed; thus necessitating a response from the United States. He believes that the current situation in Syria will test not only his credibilty, but that of the entire international community.

The Secretary of State, John Kerry, offered a statement in support of Obama’s actions, saying that without military intervention, extremist groups opposing the Syrian government would become stronger. Kerry said that they would have “created more extremism and a greater problem down the road”.

According to the United States Constitution, Obama is able to launch an attack on Syria even without Congressional approval. A full senate vote is set to occur soon.

Image: flickr.com/757Live

3v72 e10 –10 September 2013news

also included a number of features that were Google specific since it was a Google competition.

Thus, the Prep-Hub team decided to rebuild the website, this time with a solid technical solution in mind as well as to provide as much value as they could to their users.

The revamped version of Prep-Hub was launched on August 22nd and already it seems to have become a “hub” amongst students.

“Prep-Hub allows students to collaborate. Although this already happens between friends and classmates, Prep-Hub, being a website on the internet, naturally expands this collaboration to more students around the world,” explained Mutakwa.

“A student who lives in Muizenberg now doesn’t need to wait until they are back on campus in order to receive help with a topic they are struggling with. They can just ask the question on Prep-Hub.”

Prep-Hub acts as a platform where students can help each other. Students are able to ask questions in relation to what they are struggling with on Prep-Hub, and another Prep-Hub user who is familiar with the topic can answer it.

The student who answers the question does not necessarily need to know the student who asked the question and, in some cases, they may even be from another university.

“The platform is open to anyone interested in academics around the world. We have started, however, with reaching out to users from UCT since we, as Prep-Hub founders, are alumni of the university,” Mutakwa clarified.

After a question has been answered, students can vote for the most valued and helpful answers. The answers with the most votes will move to the top of the website. Voting provides a form of validation for good answers that will help students.

“The ultimate success for Prep-Hub would be if it actually makes a positive contribution to education around the world. This simply means improving a student’s learning experience and helping them understand academic concepts better,” Mutakwa concluded.

If students wish to find out more, Prep-Hub can be accessed on: www.prep-hub.com

Academics confusing you? Krysia Gaweda

With constant workloads and exams around every

corner, university students are forever looking for new and better ways to study and receive academic help. And here it is: Prep-Hub.

Co-founded by UCT alumni students Tanaka Mutakwa, Chanda Mulaiko Pwapwa and Michael Yang, Prep-Hub is a free online academic question and answer website accessible to all university students.

In the era of the internet, the Prep-Hub team believes that education can be collaborative and a website like Prep-Hub could benefit every student. Prep-Hub aims to make a positive contribution to education around the world.

Originally, Prep-Hub was designed for a Google Apps Developer Challenge in 2012. The software competition encouraged developers to build an app using Google’s APIs. After reaching the semi-finals of the competition and once finally built, the Prep-Hub team decided to make the website publicly accessible to all UCT students.

“The feedback we received was great and we realised this could be something worth building and committing to seriously,” explained Mutakwa.

Owing to the fact that Prep-Hub had initially been built for the competition, the Prep-Hub team realised there were a few issues with the website. Owing to deadlines created by the competition, it had forced them to rush the technical solution of the website and they had

Chris van der Westhuyzen

Over 27 000 students at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, have had to vacate the campus after a labour dispute between the university and its staff brought all academic operations to a standstill.

On July 23rd, staff members at WSU set out on a “no work, no pay” strike after management said it was unable to meet their demanded salary increase of 8% to 10%. Since then no students have been able to attend classes, leading to angry protests last month that saw multiple students injured and 16 arrested by the police.

The ANC Youth League reportedly condemned the use of rubber bullets to contain the protests and further deplored the salary dispute at WSU, saying it will have a detrimental effect on the future of the students.

“There has been no learning and teaching for over three months now, which means effectively no academic activity has taken place in the second semester of 2013,” ANCYL spokesperson Bandile Masuku told the Mail & Guardian on August 28th.

Management at WSU rejected the workers’ salary demands and said it could only afford a 4.25% increase. The university’s response was met with resentment and skepticism, according to Business Day, since reports in 2011 revealed that the university had paid R48 million in once-off bonuses to personnel.

In October 2011, higher education director general Gwebs Qonde told Parliament that WSU was “riddled with corruption, maladministration and unethical governance” according to Business Day.

Following allegations of financial mismanagement, it was

decided in November 2011 to place the university under national government administration.

Workers’ Union spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the staff at WSU had expected the introduction of an administrator to come with a substantial cash injection that factored in salary increases.

“When [Higher Education Minister Blade] Nzimande sent in an administrator, surely workers cannot be expected to shoulder responsibility for a failed management system. To say that there is no money is poor labour relations,” Pamla told the Mail & Guardian on August 28th.

A spokesperson for the university, Angela Church, reportedly said management faced debt of just under R200 million and had since applied for a cash boost of R3 billion from the National Treasury.

According to media reports, 70% of the university’s annual budget was spent on staff salaries, while it did not collect much from student fees. The university has 27 000 students from a primarily disadvantaged area of the Eastern Cape.

Former chairperson of the WSU council Dr Somadoda Fikeni told media that the university’s dependence on government funding was a result of the “general culture of poor payment of fees and the reality of servicing one of the poorest regions in the country”.

Following the indefinite closure of the university, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa and traditional church and community leaders met in Mthatha on September 2nd to discuss ways to resolve the labour disagreement and re-open the university.

Delegates at the meeting passed a vote of no confidence in Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and appealed to President Zuma to intervene.

University leaves students stranded

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Qamran Tabo

Over the last few weeks, a number of UCT students have experienced problems with the wireless connectivity on campus. The cause of the problems had been quite unclear to members of the student body.

Fortunately, the connectivity issues have been fixed by UCT’s Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department and they have released a statement explaining what went wrong.

ICTS stated, “[We have been] troubleshooting a number of separate problems that affected

Wireless connectivity problems solvedservices such as access to the Internet, authentication (logging in to the UCT network), the issuing of IP numbers to mobile devices and a problem affecting general wireless (Eduroam) connectivity on campus.”

According to ICTS, while these problems may have seemed as if they were one problem, they were actually separate issues that were each investigated and resolved individually.

However, it should be noted that the internet access problem, which was experienced on August 5th, was not isolated to UCT and was an issue on the South African National Research Network (SANReN) backbone. It therefore affected all

institutions that use this network.Over the past few weeks, ICTS has

conducted extensive troubleshooting and made a number of changes to resolve each issue and, in turn, help to stabilise the wireless network.

This included the building of two additional DHCP servers so that they could split authentication requests across four DHCP servers instead of two.

ICTS liaised with their vendors to resolve some of the issues too. For example, one vendor provided them with a service patch for the wireless controllers. This was installed to fix a problem where some wireless Access Points kept going in and out of service.

ICTS followed this up by sending a team of network engineers out to reset some of the Access Points (that needed manual intervention). This normalised the wireless network.

Students had different thoughts on the situation. A few students were very upset about the effect the internet connection problems were having on their work productivity.

Engineering student Anotidaishe Shonhiwa said, “It seems as though the only place that has a proper WiFi connection is Menzies. Everywhere else, you literally struggle to connect. You could sit under a router and you'd still struggle to connect. It doesn't make sense.”

“The WiFi is probably more temperamental than the weather. However, the cable connections don’t give me issues,” he added.

Shonhiwa suggested that ICTS technicians spend a day on campus trying to connect to the internet when they need work done in order to share in the suffering experienced by students.

Students who connected to Eduroam on their cellular devices also experienced

connection problems.Ruben de Girardier, a day student,

said that he couldn’t connect to the WiFi even though he had the same settings on his phone as he usually did. He suggested that ICTS hire more technicians who are experienced in the field in order to fix future problems.

Despite these issues, a number of students have also stated that they had not experienced any connectivity problems on campus.

ICTS has stated that they realise that extended problems like this are frustrating to all users on campus and apologise for any inconvenience that was caused as a result. Furthermore, they wish to thank all students and staff who used their online social media pages and asked for online support.

Through this, ICTS was able to see the noticeable rise in complaints about the wireless connectivity. Students that kept in touch allowed them to pinpoint affected areas as well as isolate the affected services.

They assure that the problems have been resolved and the internet connection will be better in future.

Prep-Hub acts as a platform where students

can help each other.

Co-founders of PreP-Hub: Tanaka Mutakwa, Chanda Mulaiko Pwapwa and Michael Yang.

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4 V72 E10 – 10 SEPTEMBER 2013 editorial

Alexandra NagelEditor-in-Chief

Fakers gonna fake

Andrew MontandonManaging Editor

Editorial

Mitch PrinslooOnline Editor

TELEPHONE: 021-650 3543 Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union

Rebecca DallasDeputy Editor

Rampant ambition

Newsgathering Leslie Social 1A

Tuesday1pm

Laurie ScarboroughCopy Editor

#vnnc2013 My morbid closet fetish

Columns online

Like VARSITY Cubs

on Facebook!

I finally managed to watch The Great Gatsby this holiday. Having read the book in matric as a setwork, I already knew what it was about. I loved the book.

Read it three times in fact, made scrupulous notes and watched the original countless times.

Yet there was something about the new movie that I really despised. Perhaps it was executed so well that it hit a little too close to home. We all have our dreams, but will our realities ever come close to them? Will our innermost hopes ever be realised? Unlikely.

We all have ambition, otherwise why would we be at UCT? Some of us want to rise above our economic situations and make money, some want power, and others want to follow their passions or make a “difference” in the world.

It’s easy to think of how everything will be decades down

the line, when we’re retired young, have a loving family and can afford to travel the world over. But will our paths ever get us there?

Watching Gatsby again sparked a little fear inside me. It’s easy to get caught up in your little web of daydreams.

Our ambitions are a delicate thing – they can easily be crushed. Perhaps it’s best to not hold onto your hopes too tightly; don’t believe in them so fervently that if they don’t get realised you’ll have an “all fall down”. Learn to be dynamic and have reasonable expectations and you’ll never let yourself down.

Life’s too serious to be taken seriously.

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editor-in-chief Alexandra Nagel deputy Editor Rebecca Dallas managing Editor Andrew Montandon Copy Editor Laurie Scarborough online editor Mitch Prinsloo

Online chief subber Theresa Scott news Krysia Gaweda & Chris van der Westhuyzen opinions Katy Scott & Uthman Quick features Daniël Geldenhuys & Lynne Marie Fraser sportS Rob Byrne & Megan Kinnaird centrespread Zarmeen Ghoor images Tebesethu Nkambule, Elelwani Netshi� ire, Siyanda

Ralane & Jessica Breakey Design Julien Speyer web Stephen Hulme, Robin Mukanganise & Peter Maluge advertising & Finance Imaad Isaacs & Salman Ghoor human resources Tanyaradzwa Dzumbunu

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sub-editors Kevin Elliott, Jena Ascough, Flavia Orman, Abigail Munroe, Julia Munroe & Evans Akatch

Staff writers Ryan Bird, Ryno Nortje, Busang Senne, Cai Nebe, Hannah Gauss, Sandile Tshahabalala, Stefanie Busch & Joe Simon20

13 C

olle

ctiv

eWhy do we indulge in

things like Photoshop, Facebook, make-up and fake lions at the Chinese zoo in order to make ourselves feel more real and appealing?

Is the inorganic look the in thing right now? Is the shaving of a Tibetan mastiff ’s fluffy coat into a lion’s mane what really gets people going? Why do girls feel they need to fake orgasms?

An obsession with appearances and pleasure is what is transforming our natural earth into a Photoshopped ball floating in mid-air with its face covered in brown, Mac base whilst spinning on the Capitalist stripper pole we call an axis.

If you’re going to fake something, at least do it properly and with some class.

Look at Rupert Murdoch for instance. He owns, give or take, 4.7 billion’s-worth of the world’s attention and has effectively created the notion of a fake democracy through the slogan “Fair and Balanced”. I would say Murdoch’s pretty much nailed creating a fake media supporting a fake democracy. By owning most of the media and cleverly hiding its true right-winged intentions under the banner “Fair and Balanced”, the very aspect of a society that is supposed to keep it democratic, is being flooded with sensationalist waste on how

Miley Cyrus twerked up against Robin Thicke at the VMAs. There is a war in Syria, hello! And President Obama called for an armed intervention yet everyone is still drooling over Miley’s teddy bear costume and Will Smith’s family’s reaction to it.

Well done social media and well done media in general. I am at the mercy of your abundant power as I type this column, as I layout the next edition of VARSITY, as I update my Facebook status and even the fact that I mention Miley’s extravagant performance at the VMAs; you have done your job. The very thing I am repelling against I have to use in order to get my point across. A little bit ironic I say, so perhaps I am a faker too. If I so choose to indulge, consume and procreate with the very thing I deem fake, am I not just as bad as those I call a faker?

I think we are all fakers in the end. Everything is socially constructed, even we are. From the cars we drive to the values we encompass have all been made up by someone or through something in order to hide that a person was the creator of it all. So what lies underneath all of this make-up and Creative Suite 6 airbrushing?

Some say a feeble frame made out of bone; others say we’re just water and carbon.

Don’t let the world cuss at you from her stripper pole for not paying an extra R20 to see her dance longer; don’t fall victim to Photoshop’s magic wand and Miley’s twerk. Leave your computer screens, iPads, iPhones, iLives and help the world enroll into rehab. Play outside under the sun, in the forest or in the ocean and mother earth will become the mom she was always destined to be to her earthlings. Be organic, because that’s the most real you’ll ever be.

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5V72 E10 –10 SEPTEMBER 2013opinions

Disclaimer

The VARSITY Opinions section is a vehicle for expression on any topic by members of the university community or other interested parties. The opinions within this section are not

necessarily those of the VARSITY Collective or its advertisers.Letters to the Editor need to be kept to a maximum

of 300 words and can be sent to: [email protected]

wScotty Does Know Katy ScottOpinions Editor

T.I.A. baby, T.I.A.

Uthman Quick

If it is a clear day, stand on the Jammie Steps, pause the convo about the annoying tutor for a second, and look out beyond the leafy neighbourhoods. You will see the Cape Flats. Right now, there is a war being fought and lost by us all in areas that can be seen from our lo� y campus.

Of course, there are students at UCT that come from areas that are gang-ridden – where hearing the sound of gun-shots is an all too usual occurrence. But for many, the

The war beneath us

fact that this city is currently facing a scourge of gangsterism might be a cursory note that washes o� us as easily as the Varsity Football team failing to register a single win – it’s not cool, but what are you gonna do?

� e truth is that many of us just simply don’t care , and why should we? “My” football club (who happen to be based in London) signed Mesut Özil, Miley Cyrus did something stupid again and Mike mentioned UCT on Suits. Even if we were to care, what could we as students do about it when our political leaders cannot agree on what to do?

� e DA wants to tackle the

problem by bringing in the army (yes, the army trained for military con� ict). As Brazilians will attest, militarising a socio-economic-crime problem will only further terrorise the majority of law-abiding civilians that live in these townships. On the other hand, the ANC conveniently disagrees with the DA (only in the Western Cape) and feels that gangsterism and drugs are socio-economic issues that need socio-economic solutions.

� e most logical solution is probably a mixture of both approaches – a strong and organised policing e� ort along with serious social and educational programmes to upli� poverty-stricken townships. But when do politicians ever do the post-logical thing when it goes against their own political aspirations and involves actually working together?

More worrying is that we as a society will do largely nothing to hold our elected o� cials accountable when they put politics before the public good. We have been conditioned from early on in our lives into a “normality” that is not normal. A normality that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside

An American student uttered the words, “T.I.A. baby” in

class the other day. Instead of asking what she was smoking, I turned to Urban Dictionary for some clari� cation. It came up with the results “Take In the Ass” or “� is Is Africa”.

As I’m sure she wasn’t proposing the former to our lecturer (who was showing us slides o� a laptop because the projector hadn’t arrived), I assumed that she must have been referring to the fact that yes, � is Is Africa, that dark continent where things like a lack of projectors are par for the course.

It seems that the phrase is employed whenever something “typically African” occurs, i.e. something that would never happen in a western, civilized world. � is includes the concept of “African Time” and a host of negative stereotypes about Africa.

Although said with a sympathetic, “this should be expected in Africa” smile, the comment was surprisingly not in the least bit o� ensive. In fact I could see myself saying it and even relating to it. � ere is no denying that we all have plenty of gripes about our “African” situation. Every sigh or complaint is just “T.I.A.”

expressed in a di� erent form. Picture yourself lazing about

in front of the TV, charging your phone and warming up some instant meal in the microwave, and everything goes black. You’re irritated but not frustrated, as you don’t expect any better when it comes to Eskom. It is this ‘mediocrity’ that we have de� ned ourselves to be living in and have come to accept as the norm.

We have framed our ‘African’ circumstances in relation to the quality of life experienced in other parts of the world. Idealised images have perpetuated the belief that there is always something better out there, be it faster Internet, less poverty, safer neighborhoods, moral politicians or an e� cient police force.

Perhaps I should not be complaining as this T.I.A. outlook

is a step above those tired, s t e r e o t y p e d images of pet lions, men in loin cloths and bare-breasted women

ululating. However, the image of expected inferiority and mediocrity should not be the one we choose to de� ne as typical.

Africa, although o� en confused as a country, is really an entire continent made up of 54 countries and is home to over 1 billion people. It is not easy to encapsulate into a neat phrase. Nothing could be “Africa” if it tried.

It is sad that we choose to accept and expect the negative stereotypes. We desire to gravitate towards bigger and better without taking the time to realise that the best is already under our very noses. � is Is Africa in all its richness and diversity, and � is Is Arguably the most beautiful continent in the world.

“mediocrit” that we have de� ned ourselves to be

living in

when we hear that Lead SA drug-watch advert on the radio and then absolutely nothing when three out of � ve commercials on SuperSport glamorise the country’s most lethal drug.

It is not because of “student apathy” that we don’t care – as if students are the only people susceptible to apathy. We live in an apathetic society. But our condition as students is worse - more akin to madness: a madness of conscience. While clinging to newly learned notions of democracy and freedom, our attention is cloud-

based. Our smartphones and the priorities that lie within them are the focus of our existence.

� ey might be an easy target for this type of criticism, but what is key here is the “ideology of self ” that we are adopting. � e idea that I, Me, My needs are what is important and not the violence over there. � at is the true student apathy. And those in the townships who perpetrate senseless acts of violence are a� ected by the same apathy that allows us to sit on the Jammie Steps every day, oblivious to the war we can see, but do not see. Image: Tamtonkhe Dlamini

6 v72 e10 –10 September 2013 opinions

Angela Kirykowicz

Zimbabwe is famous, or rather infamous, for some not-so-

benign activities over the years. The current government has decided, during a rare fit of inspiration, to open up a Disneyland-style theme park near Victoria Falls. Flocks of tourists can enjoy taking rides with a backdrop to one of the most spectacular natural features in the world, all in the considerate hands of a failed state.

Unlike Disneyland Paris or Florida, Disneyland Zimbabwe has the desirable feature of being sparsely depopulated – I mean populated.

Zimbabwe has railed against the West before, especially against the United States, which is why Disneyland Zimbabwe is heavily invested in bridging those divides by importing cultural imperialism into the country.

Zimbabwe would like the approval of other countries attending the United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organisation summit, despite it banning developed countries from

Disneyland Zimbabwe: where dreams don’t always come true

Parusha Naidoo

A 20-year-old girl strips down to a flesh-coloured bikini while licking her lips and sticking her tongue out in a somewhat demented manner. This is followed by the rhythmic gyrating of her fleshy (or lack of) rear end.

The bumping and grinding is supplemented by a foam finger that takes on the job of being rubbed against a fellow performer’s nether regions and then her own.

The dance routine (if that’s what dancing is supposed to look like) is accompanied by raucous and dissonant singing (blame the venue’s acoustics or the singer’s need for autotune). The performance is completed by a catchy song with misogynistic connotations.

If the recount of the incident I have offered doesn’t sound familiar there are probably two reasons. The first: you are not a victim of sensational pop culture and the phrase “Miley twerking” sounds like Pig Latin. The second: you are a victim of sensational pop culture and the idea that a song about date rape can sound so good is hard to believe.

The response on social networking sites and news outlets about the performance at the 2013 VMA’s was anything but muted, with pictures, videos, tweets and statuses all creating a hullabaloo.

It unleashed a flood of experts providing comic relief and in-depth analysis on latex underwear, oversized teddy bears and the undeniable execution of Hannah Montana. The shock and horror

Tweaking the twerking debate

doesn’t end there. The true horror is that while

everyone was in a tizz about her twerking her way out of the confines of public decency, those passing comment seemed to turn a blind eye on weightier social issues beyond a dance move phenomenon or a popular song.

By following the mould, Cyrus’s performance places the stamp of approval on the idea that sex sells and women are defined by their bodies. Looking passed this, there are clear double standards regarding men and women, since the majority of disapproval has been directed at her while very little attention has been placed on Robin Thicke.

It’s conventional to criticise a raunchy performance with slut-shaming accusations being levelled at a woman when she does something explicitly sexual.

This leaves all those tapping at

their keyboards with sanctimonious comments perpetuating the notion that a female dancing in a suggestive manner is promiscuous and that she has no right to publically express her sexual enjoyment.

As long as outrageous performances keep taking the centre stage and getting more hits than the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime or the possible leakage of radioactive waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, we might as well make it a discussion that has substance.

Miley’s spectacle is not the problem. Instead, she is the symptom of an industry that can bank on moral indignation to get consumers talking and buying into a manufactured trap of controversy. Consumers that fail to see beyond the act of a girl grinding against a man fail to be critical and continue to zealously feed on sensationalism.

the phrase “Miley twerking” sounds like

Pig Latin

monitoring the elections. Who needs role models when one can simply redefine democracy?

Zimbabwe prides itself on the ability to weather any storm. Whether gripped by hyperinflation, goods scarcity or armed militias, Zimbabwe has always limped through. Weathering the metaphorical bruises of moral condemnation and economic sanctions would not have been possible without a good neighbour.

Like the benevolent state of North Korea, Zimbabwe could not have overcome the opposition without the help of a pleasant and uncritical ally.

Zimbabwe feels that a Disneyland-style theme park will help their economic prospects. After all, a country of centenarians needs all of the capital it can get. Plus, Zimbabwe requires much investment; the stock market makes

snail racing look entertaining, and the supreme governance of the country forces bank depositors to seek running shoes.

Of course, Zimbabwe always needs a second time to improve things; the illegitimately legitimate government has doggedly come to power (again), without the need to kill MDC supporters and only share power with the winners of the last election due to international pressure.

However, Zimbabwe’s new old government is grateful for the suggestion of using the US dollar; there are only so many $100 trillion notes that can be printed. As a bonus, inflation is no longer at 231 million per cent, so no one needs to burn their pay for fuel.

Disneyland Zimbabwe is the perfect place to bring your family. The rollercoasters are plentiful and entertainment is abundant, until the government decides to nationalise it. Unlike safari parks, Disneyland Zimbabwe’s attractions are not consumable.

Though the price to pay is the spoiling of terrific scenery,

Zimbabwe believes that this is necessary in order to ignore the plight of the general population. Who needs roads, schools, and hospitals when one can have a giant

entertainment site for tourists? Disneyland Zimbabwe is a place where the magic happens, where all the problems the country faces can disappear.

Tyra Overmeyer

The House Committee represents and responds to the most essential of student needs, which includes food (dining hall representative) and parties (entertainment representative).

Due to the significance of these representatives’ roles, the “public” (the students) needs to make a well-informed decision. Interrogations are the opportunity to get well-informed.

Whilst the candidates put up campaign posters and became more social, the students deliberated over who used the most sophisticated font in their poster and who put in extra dedication (money) by printing their posters in colour. If you are a stranger to the candidates, this is all you can judge them on.

Then there were the speeches. There were three versions of two-minute rhetoric that were employed by the candidates: the formal piece with long words and enthusiasm, the informal piece indicating that “they are not politicians” as they are “one of us”, and the pieces which started off with enthusiasm, but did not have enough to last the whole two minutes.

The interrogations came thereafter. The students fully utilised this opportunity.

The students, being those living in the residences, have probably never made a complaint about FEDICS – in writing. They probably let it slide when all the toilets on their floor were blocked due to some people disrespecting the limit that the toilet is built to flush down, or those who simply do not flush.

And they definitely do not

Only the best survive interrogations complain (some might say “snitch”) when they are unable to study in the comfort of their own room due to their neighbours’ high noise levels.

House Committee Elections are a platform where all these complaints cumulate and transform into fuel for interrogation nights.

There was little sympathy shown for the nervous ones. For an hour and a half, these candidates were the reason that the second floor’s washing machines were broken, that the budget is not enough for

everyone to go to Formal, and that FEDICS tastes the way it does.

Although it could be argued that the public were too harsh in

some instances, only the thick-skinned candidates will be able to tackle the challenging jobs that will be allocated to them next year.

Interrogations did allow us to pick out who the hard working and approachable individuals are. From the candidates’ speeches, we were able to see who had an understanding of the public’s needs.

Big words and passion helped the candidates achieve this image. Therefore, the candidates who won either showed a likeable personality or read the dictionary.

However, an image that shapes the way the students view the candidates is not a reliable source in judging their abilities.

It takes much more commitment to dedicate your time to responding to the needs of students for a whole year than it does in gaining confidence to speak to an audience for four minutes.

Therefore, interrogations cannot show us how fit these candidates are for the job – we can only judge in 2014.

all these complaints cumulate and

transform into fuel for interrogation nights

Who needs role models when one can simply redefine democracy?

Image: flickr.com.ochre_jelly

7V72 E10 –10 SEPTEMBER 2013opinions

it is also high time the students stop being

apathetic

Ramabina Mahapa

As we glance at the horizon during sunset, we are captivated by what tomorrow will bring. At the dawn of Dr Max Price’s second term, we now stand being captivated by what path he wishes the University to embark on. One need not be surprised at our excitement, for under the leadership of Dr Price, the University has had many moments of success.

In the discussion between the Vice-Chancellor and Judge Dennis Davis on Monday, August 19th to mark the completion of Dr Price’s � rst term of o� ce as the Vice-Chancellor and the commencement of his second term, a lot was touched upon that bears signi� cance. One area which received much attention was transformation, an area in which one can argue that progress has been slow.

In his installation address in 2008, Dr Price said, “Academics and others from around the world will know, in 2012, that if you want to understand Africa, you must come to UCT.” It’s now 2013, and that assertion has not as of yet been realised. Coming from Limpopo, I for one, have never felt

End of term for Dr Max Price

nor experienced any resemblance of Africa in the UCT community nor in its curricula.

� ere seems to be far too little urgency in the establishment of UCT as a truly African university, and not as a Eurocentric university which just happens to be based in Africa. In addition, it seems that the general idea is that by increasing the number of black students at UCT, one is making it an African

university. One could not be further from the truth by believing in such a notion.

Another issue that I feel should have been covered in the discussion was the state of UCT in relation to its transformation with regards to increasing its accessibility to disabled students. � is is an area which has received little attention. So o� en when people cry about transformation, the � rst thing that

comes to mind is race and gender. We have forgotten that there are those that need even more of our help and understanding - not that we need to forget about issues such as racial discrimination, but the attention with regards to matters surrounding disabled students in higher education has received minimal attention.

We praise ourselves for being one of the leading research and teaching

institutions, and while the evidence to support the former is there, would we really say that UCT is quali� ed to assert the latter? UCT’s continued prioritisation of research in the place of quality teaching has contributed to the high exclusion rate. Judge Davis pointed out that “no one can ever become a professor even if they are the greatest teacher in the world” at UCT. I believe that the VC has failed the students by not making quality teaching a priority considering that many students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds are struggling academically.

One has the sense that most lecturers do not have an interest in teaching but rather want to do research. � is is evident by their lack of engagement and interest in ensuring that the students develop eagerness for what is being taught. As far as holding lecturers accountable for the quality of their teaching, UCT has also failed the students.

As much as Dr Price is the person we look for in relation to where UCT should be heading, I think it is also high time the students stop being apathetic. For the establishment of UCT as a home for all people of all races and nationality, we need to come together. So o� en UCT is praised for being the best in Africa - let’s start practising this assertion by coming up with new and innovative ways to transform teaching.

Image: Michael Currin

MEDIA SCHOOL The editors of the di� erent sections at VARSITY – News, Sports, Features, Opinions and Images – took turns hosting workshops on Saturday mornings.

Lynne Marie Fraser, Deputy Features Editor, explained her experience:

“The kids were pretty shy at � rst and didn’t seem to want to participate and speak about what they might want to write on. I worried that it would be unsuccessful.”

But once the students got comfortable, she said, they started participating more and the atmosphere was one of an active workshop.

“Their stories are so rich. Even though they don’t have good writing skills, they have such good content to share that their feature articles were awesome! It was a thouroughly enriching experience for both sides because we learnt a bit about their lives and they felt encouraged that they could write stories that could be worth publishing. So I think we planted some seeds of inspiration.” Yandisa Cishe

Matthew Goniwe High School

Nandipha NjuniMatthew Goniwe High School

Media School is an initiative undertaken by Ubunye and VARSITY that was revived this year to help develop students in Khayelitsha and Weltevreden. The programme introduces students in Matthew Goniwe Memorial High School and the Yabonga Centre to the idea of journalism as a career with interactive writing workshops.

I think we planted some seeds of inspiration

Image: Elelwani Netshifhire Image: Elelwani Netshifhire Image: Elelwani NetshifhireImage: Alexandra NagelImage: Alexandra Nagel

10 V72 E10 –10 SEPTEMBER 2013 features loves UCT - - - S P E C I A L S E C T I O N - - -

11v72 e10 –10 September 2013

Busang Senne

Same lunch, different week. My trusty lady-in-lunch and I feel like we’ve seen it all: as watchful observers of scholars weaving in and out of the daily bustle of academia, there is no queue we haven’t stood in, no sandwich we haven’t eaten. This week however, we entered into unknown territory as we got a hefty dose of arts at the Baxter Theatre.

For one thing, there were no scholars, only the eccentric and the middle-aged and, of course, church -goers. I’d assume if lecturers had a designated area for coffee and general tomfoolery, like that of the high school staff-room, it would be in the Baxter Theatre. Inside, you can find a spectrum of lights like hollowed-out gem squash and tapestries cascading down high-rise walls. The founder of the Baxter Theatre, Dr. W. Duncan Baxter, who Anita thinks looks like Rudyard Kipling, can be seen looming in a portrait on the foyer wall. Clearly this was no joking matter and lunch was to be taken seriously. If lunch was to be had in the first place...

When you’re living off meal vouchers and have a sum total of R10 to your name, the Baxter Theatre is nothing but a deliciously shattered dream. There are three different places you can choose from to watch your money flush down the proverbial toilet

Ladies who lunch: Baxter Theatre

Daniёl Geldenhuys

My worst fear is realised upon my arrival at the car-width

gap leading into the high wall that runs around the Graduate School of Business campus: CPS.

Could he help me, the CPS man asks. I’m just going to the Graduate School of Business, I try. To meet who, he asks. People, I attempt wearily. What people, the interrogation begins. Any people, I say, explaining that I’m a journalist from Upper Campus and reach for my student card. All awkwardness considered, the CPS man walks me into the building and to the nearest coffee station (he was headed there in any case).

As we walk through the hallway, I inspect the doors that punctuate the thick brick wall. I can sense the penny getting a little stuck, so I ask what this campus was before it belonged to UCT. A prison, CPS man replies. The penny drops. I gulp.

My worries about having walked into an allegedly inactive prison dissolve instantly when I walk into campus coffee heaven: Lavazza (what’s Frigo?). There are couches, a flat screen television, and cappuccinos in actual cups. A revelation. Sipping the creamy caffeine, I notice a few indicators that I am, in fact, still on a UCT campus. In the quad outside, there are benches just like the ones at Hiddingh, and on the table by the television lie Monday Monthly and The Good News. The bad news is, there’s no VARSITY.

There are couches, a flat screen television, and

cappuccinos in actual cups

Hannah MacMillian

I was 17 when we first met. It was a warm day and I wore my walking shoes.

I had heard your name often during my growing-up years. My parents were intent on our union. We came from the same city, my father knew you well and my mother felt that, with you, I could take on the world. I had nothing to say against the match but, even so, I was determined to make my own decisions. There were so many suitors, so many potential partners all clamouring for my hand and money.

And then there was you. You who would let me keep the mountain; you who would give me access to the city and to the sky. I fell in love slowly, from a distance. I stood back and took in your stature, your achievements, your prospects and your beauty.

Even now I wonder how it is possible for you to be so incredibly beautiful. From that introductory day onwards, I often thought about how my name would look beside yours. You permeated my subconscious as I finished high school and I decided that if I had to choose, it would be you.

It was I who proposed and you accepted me.

Sometimes I wonder whether I should have waited, whether I settled too soon. But knowing what I now know, how could I have settled for less? You have opened my mind. You have enabled me to develop the voice, the personality

To my dear University

and the passion which were always part of me. They are not your creations, they are and have always been mine – but it was under your encouragement that they were brought more markedly into being. How you delighted in their establishment. How you praised me for my achievements, even those I now recognise as trivial.

Yes, you have your faults. I despise the way you cannot protect me from the rain. I dread the wind that rages through you. The elements are not always kind, but you endure and I endure with you. I have learnt to love your early morning call; your eagerness to meet the day; your love of books

and that’s The Long Bar (which was closed, but had Frutina “slush puppy” machines so we’d definitely recommend that), Play Bar which is for the light-hearted, modest on-the-go café goods, and Act Restaurant, which, judging from its a la carte menu and pricey wine list, is strictly for those who aren’t still in the trials and tribulations of living off of their parents’ incomes.

We were determined to make our experience of the Baxter Theatre worth something more than out lack of decent funds, or so we thought. As Anita stood in her classic Annie Leibovitz stance, removed the lens-cap with as much grace as Kelly, we were denied by Baxter security.

This began a heated debate on the irony of being denied creative license in the most creative place of creative places. The security guard was not hearing our melodramatic cries of outrage and so we left, hungry, photo-less and with a pen borrowed from the ‘His People’ table to take down my notes. I hasten to add that the last bit was entirely by accident, but the irony of stealing a pen during a church service was not lost on me.

The good news? Baxter is in Rondebosch. Anita and I are slaves to places where a meal for under R30 is possible. And on a day when Cape Town weather doesn’t decide to blind-side you with geometric rain, who could be so cynical as not to believe in silver linings?

Do the students here even know what VARSITY is? I realise I haven’t seen a single student yet. Right on cue, I hear the voices of students, lecturers, or inmates (I had no way of telling) travelling up the stairs just outside the room. I gulp my coffee down in an attempt to follow them.

I approach lecture theatre 1: I wish I could say I was brave enough to stroll in and take a seat in one of the not-attached-to-the-desk swivel chairs, but

I can’t. The lecture theatre proves to be my kryptonite and I am banished to the solitary confinement of the hallway.

Lost in a maze of narrow passages that all look equally sterile, I turn a corner and find myself in the Protea Hotel. This must be their Tugwell, I think. Not to disturb the guests, I retrace my steps back to where the doors are marked with the names of academics to visit the make-or-break element of the building: the water closet.

The men’s room is cleaner and newer than most on Upper, and when I wash my hands in the “naturally” warm water, I find myself for the first time falling in love with an old prison building (could this be a version of Stockholm Syndrome?).

Not having much else to do or people to see (these students are terribly elusive on a Monday morning), I decide to call it a day. As I return to my pigeon-infested home, I am greeted by the laughing faces and oversized lecture theatres that characterise it, and I feel a fresh sense of appreciation for my freedom as a student. I may not have been the best satellite campus spy, but as I remind myself, what happens there is really none of my business.

Into the unknown campus Have you been to the UCT Graduate School of Business? VARSITY sends a spy.

and your pathways scattered with fallen camellias.

I do not like all of your associates nor do I agree with everything that you condone. You are not yet complete, but we are all still under construction to some degree. You enable me to pursue my own completion and I thank you for that. You have treated me well and though I cannot tell what the future holds for us, you will always be my first university. UCT: here’s to another year with the tertiary institution of my dreams.

Yours until Graduation,

Hannah MacMillan

features loves UCt - - - S P E C I A L S E C T I O N - - -

Image: flickr.com/rebecca tyrrell

Image: michael Currin

12 v72 e10 –10 September 2013

“I love UCT for so many reasons. The top-notch degree that you receive at the same time as having the opportunity to choose from ... hundreds of extra-mural activities is such a privilege. All major companies, and most South Africans, instantly recognise UCT as the excellent institution that it is, and I am proud to be part of it. I’ve also met and befriended so many driven and ambitious people who will undoubtedly become national and world leaders someday.”

Stephen Bourhill, SHAWCO Education, President 2013

“There are so many different and accessible ways to get an all-

Why we love it: Student leaders tell us what they love most about UCT.

rounded education; it doesn’t have to be all about academics here.”

Julia Norrish, SHAWCO Education, President 2014.

“The view of the city lights from Jammie steps on those all-nighter library breaks. The free Jammie shuttle service. Chilling on Jammie steps in the sun. Bumping into friends on campus. The diverse

societies and development agencies that students can join. The commitment to remaining the best university in Africa. The respect commanded by a UCT degree. The panel discussions, debates and guest speaker events that regularly take place on campus. The friendships made in residence. The academics that are leaders in their fields.”

Lorne Hallendroff, SRC

2013 President. “The DSA has given Ubunye (the Umbrella structure of Inkanyezi) strong support in gaining funds for running this Development Agency. In the midst of trying to get our hard fought degrees at UCT, a number of students find the time to commit to weekly workshops which contribute to change the lives of those less fortunate. UCT has a great Careers

Service at Hoerikwaggo which helps us to structure a curriculum that provides career guidance to high school learners from areas such as Khayelitsha and Phillipi. UCT has an amazingly well structured Open Day! Learners who are part of our programme are amazed every year at the amount of information that they gain. UCT has a department called the Schools Development Unit (SDU), which was created with the specific aim of helping learners from the township regions of Cape Town to strengthen and further their education, amazing huh? Inkanyezi works in one of their amazing projects!”

Jeffy George Palamattam, Director of Inkanyezi.

features loves UCt - - - S P E C I A L S E C T I O N - - -

Cassidy Nydahl

The gathering of widely different individuals in one space is a strange concept, if you think about it. These people often have very different ideas on tidiness, food preference, times to get up, times to go sleep and sociability. Yet, somehow, all these people live in a (semi) amiable state, adapting to each other’s endearing and irritating traits.

Sharing meals forms a big part of this habituation; it’s a time when digs mates share hilarious awkward-night-out stories and get the updates on the latest love interest, family dilemma or tutorial horror story. For every shared meal there is the perfect dish. These recipes can adapt to any preference and fit in with any type of digs.

Dig right in! Three delicious meals to share in any type of digs.

Method:

The Healthy Option: Chicken noodle soup

My mother never made me chicken noodle soup when I was sick, but after making this recipe, I wish she had. (Serves 4-6)

6 cups stock2 cups boiling water3 chicken breasts, on the bone but skin and fat removed5 whole black peppercorns (not cracked!)Handful thyme, left on stalksHandful parsley, left on stalks1 bay leaf1 large onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, crushed4 sticks celery, sliced3 carrots, peeled and diced125g egg noodles2 tbsp chopped parsleyCrusty bread, for serving

Place the chicken breasts in a large pot and add the parsley, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf (try and keep it in one place to make it easier to remove later). Pour over stock and water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, chop all your vegetables. Heat up a glug of olive oil, and fry the onions until soft and golden. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and continue frying for 5 minutes until slightly softened.

When the chicken has cooked through, remove it from the stock, as well as the thyme, bay leaf and parsley, and set aside. Add the softened vegetables to the stock and simmer for about 5 minutes until tender.

In the meantime, shred the chicken and throw away the bones. Add the chicken and the noodles to the rest of the soup and simmer for about 5 minutes until the noodles are cooked.

Stir through parsley and serve with fresh, crusty bread for dunking.

Ingredients:

The Interactive Option: Vegetarian chilli con carne with nachos and

avocado

Ingredients:

Method:

Gather the whole digs around to tuck in and share. No knives or forks are allowed. (Serves 4-6)

2 red peppers, halved2 red onions, chopped3 garlic cloves, crushed2 green chillies, chopped (remove seeds if you don’t like it hot)1 tbsp smoked paprika (normal paprika will also do)2 tbsp ground cumin2 tbsp ground coriander2 cups diced butternut2 cans chopped, peeled tomatoes2 cans black beans (or kidney beans)1 can borlotti beansFor serving:Coriander leaves, roughly torn1 packet nachos1 cup sour cream1 avocado, sliced

Put the grill on, lay the peppers cut side down in a foil lined tray and grill until the skin is charred. Remove from the grill, put into a bowl covered in cling film, and wait for the peppers to collapse before peeling the skin off and roughly dicing.

Heat some oil in a large pot and fry the onions until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chillies and spices and fry for a minute until fragrant.

Add the butternut and tinned tomatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the butternut is tender.

Add the beans and chopped roast pepper, and allow to cook until everything is heated.

Take off heat and dish into bowls with sliced avocado on top, coriander and a big dollop of sour cream. Serve with the nachos.

For a healthier option, replace the sour cream with Greek yoghurt. If something meaty is what you’re after, add 250g beef mince.

Tip:

The Meaty Option: Spaghetti and meatballs

Ingredients:

For those male-dominated carnivore digs that just have to get their daily dose of meat. The slightly caramelised onions make this dish, so don’t skimp on their cooking time. (Serves 4-6)

300g spaghettiMeatballs:2 onions, chopped very finely2 cloves garlic, crushed500g beef mince½ cup toasted breadcrumbs2 tbsp Worcester sauce2 carrots, finely grated1 tbsp dried oregano1 tsp ground cuminSauce: 1 onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, crushed1 tbsp basil stalks, chopped1 tin (70g) tomato paste 2 tins chopped tomato¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped, or 2 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto1 tsp sugarHandful basil leaves, chopped (to serve)Parmesan, grated (to serve)

Switch on the grill and line a baking tin with foil.Fry the onion in a little olive oil on low-medium heat

until golden brown and crisping. Add the garlic and fry until it turns golden too.

Mix the onion and garlic with the remaining meatball ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and shape into about 20 small meatballs. Place on the baking tray and put under the grill, 5 minutes on each side, until the meatballs are golden on top. If there is a little meatball mixture left over after shaping the meatballs, put this aside.

Meanwhile, fry the remaining onion in a little olive oil on low-medium heat until golden brown, then add the garlic, basil stalks and remaining meatball mixture and fry until all golden.

Add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Place the meatballs in the sauce and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a big pot of salted water to the boil, then cook the spaghetti until al dente.

Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and meatballs and serve with chopped basil and grated parmesan.

Method:

Images: Cassidy Nydahl

Image: www.flickr.com/brettatherstone

13V72 E10 –10 SEPTEMBER 2013

More details: www.commerce.uct.ac.za/accounting/programs

ARE YOU A

GRADUATE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTOR YOU SIMPLY WISH TO GAIN INVALUABLE BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING SKILLS?

We offer a ONE year full time Accounting Conversion Course

The course has been specifically designed for graduates who have completed a non-accounting degree. Graduates who have a business/accounting degree are, however, eligible to apply. Please note that graduates who have previously registered for a SAICA

accredited programme are not eligible for this course.

Closing date for applications: 31 October 2013

w w w . c o m m e r c e . u c t . a c . z a

F A C U L T Y O F C O M M E R C E

COLLEGE OFACCOUNTING

Tayla-Paige van Sittert

In a green tent on the North tip of University Avenue is a place full of wonder, controversy, and hundreds and thousands of budding tooth-� llings. An Israeli man, with his infamous sunglasses and WWE Raw playing on the TV behind him, bellows a few cocky comments to the sweet-toothed students entering at their own risk; can you guess? It is the one, the only, the Green Man’s magical candy cave.

At � rst I thought I’d tripped and fallen into a mad-hatters tea party decorated by Willy-Wonka and � e Hunger Games’ Capitol stylists. At one point I was quite certain I’d seen an oompa loompa, until I realised it was just my re� ection in the fridge door (I’m short like that). � e sugar had already saturated my brain, and I hadn’t even taken two steps.

I was attracted to the idea of � nding out who this zany Green Man is and why we never see him without his sunglasses. Nonetheless, I allowed

The “Green Man” and his magical candy cave

a sweet wave of curiosity to blow over me under his tinted gaze. His mannerisms and comments, I must say, were just as decadent as his shop: a sticky-sweet parallelism of man and business.

Between multiple digressions on evolution, money, politics, parenting, nature, pets, religion, pyramids, advertising in the media,

car metaphors, milk controversies, the perfect cup of co� ee and how everybody is stupid and opinion-less, I managed to hustle some actual information about who he is.

Here is the man behind the shades: He started the business as a single table back in the ‘90s with his dad selling a few sweets, along with a few baked goods he made himself. � en

his shop grew into what it is now – just as everything in this world progresses through a process of evolution, as he persistently explains.

He constantly refers to himself in the royal “we”, about which he explains, “It’s just me, myself and my multiple personalities.”

He would not tell me his name because he says there’s nothing much in

a name. “� ey put too much emphasis on names these days – consumers, residents, smokers, drivers, students. It’s all too much.” Although, I think the truth was he just didn’t feel like correcting my Hebrew pronunciation.

And the one thing I’m sure you’ve all been burning to hear: he wears his sunglasses in the shop because he doesn’t like the idea of looking people in the eye. “If you look into someone’s eyes, you see into their brain, and it’s a power struggle. It takes my energy.”

Eccentric and complex simply does not cut it, right? Well one thing is for sure – if you’re looking for a bit of an ideology-challenge or a controversial discussion, a bit of bantering or joking, or even a sweet to chew on, you’ll de� nitely be in for a treat at the Green Man’s magical candy cave.

Image: Tebesutfu Nkambule

features loves UCT - - - S P E C I A L S E C T I O N - - -

Lynne Marie Fraser

I almost didn’t go into the lecture theatre. I was late, sweating and not meant to be in the Faculty of Law. I hesitated at the door. I didn’t know how many people would be in this lecture. What if it was a small and intimate class where everyone was going to notice these two random, late intruders? What if the lecturer asked us something? I needn’t have worried about that though, because the class was huge and everyone was tapping away at their laptops too frantically to take note of anything other than the small dark-haired woman at the front. She was repeating, slowly and clearly, “Reckless, intentions, reasonable man…”

I had an almost uncontrollable urge to ask everyone in the room to put their hands up if they watched Suits. I refrained, obviously, but concluded that they de� nitely all had done so, with some of them having actually arrived in this room as a direct result of this viewing experience. I also concluded that

Lecture Roulette

every day on Middle Campus must have some kind of Elle Woods moment in it. I was only involved in the scene for 45 minutes and in that time, I managed to “accidentally” (no really though, it was a genuine accident) drop my pen onto the � oor underneath my neighbour’s chair. While we awkwardly retrieved my pen which had somehow managed to roll into the top of his backpack I thought, “Sorry Elle, I can’t do it. I can’t snap.”

About half way through, this gentleman with the backpack turned to me and asked if I knew how long this lecture would be. I laughed ridiculously and said I didn’t have a clue. By the time the little lady did begin to wrap the lecture up with, “Reckless, intentions, reasonable man…”, I felt like I had just sat through a very well-said, well-argued circle of legal babble that said everything and nothing at the same time. It convinced me that anything could justi� ably be one thing and just as justi� ably be another, if you cover all your bases. Oh wait, that’s the whole point of law isn’t it?

Image: � ickr.com/ teddy-rised

Here is the man behind the shades

14 V72 E10 –10 SEPTEMBER 2013 sport

Too slow for Moscow?Michael McLaggan

A solitary bronze was the best that Team South Africa could muster at the recently completed International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Moscow, coming from a brave performance by middle-distance runner Johan Cronje. � is meant that South Africa placed in a lowly joint 33rd place on the medals table.Why the underperformance? Or, was there not much expected of this team in the � rst place? Either way, the situation of athletics in South Africa needs to be scrutinised in order to establish why this year’s competition was largely unsuccessful.

� e year itself did not begin well for SA athletics, as due to internal politics and a highly publicised spat between Athletics South Africa (ASA) board members, which resulted in half of the board in question, receiving suspensions from their posts. For a while it seemed as though athletics in the country would be operating devoid of a federation for representation. Fortunately, this internal storm subsided so as not to inhibit proceedings, and a full team was taken to Moscow where the real challenge lay.

� e considerable amount of injuries sustained prior to the championships was the next obstacle facing the team. Among those who failed to compete through injury were: national 3 000m record holder and sixth place � nisher in the 1 500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Juan van Deventer; 2012 Olympic 110m hurdles � nalist Lehann Fourie; star marathoner, Rene Kalmer and well performing 800m runner, Andre Olivier. Similarly, Caster Semenya, former World Champion and Olympic silver medallist last year, narrowly missed the qualifying standard a� er a recent return from injury, and an administrative blunder saw national women’s marathon champion, Cornelia Joubert, withdrawn from the team.

� e non-competitors aside however, the question of whether our athletes underperformed or whether they quite simply did not match-up to the competition is one worthy of examination. Other than Cronje’s bronze, noteworthy performances included Anaso Jobodwana’s sixth place � nish in the men’s 200m and Victor Hogan’s somewhat surprising � � h place in the men’s discus. Khotso Mokoena’s seventh place � nish in the men’s long jump and Sunette Viljoen’s sixth place � nish in the women’s javelin throw can be regarded as disappointing when taking their ability into consideration, but still made for fair places. Most of the young guns and � rst-timers failed to make it out of the � rst round of heats, which was to be expected when comparing their personal bests with other higher pedigree athletes in the � eld.

It can be said that not much was expected from the � rst-timers and thus le� little room for disappointment. � ere were a couple of let downs but these were equally met with surprises. Yes, perhaps one medal may sound disappointing but when you take into consideration the fact that athletes from 203 countries compete, coming 33rd overall does not

Siyabonga Nyezi

UCT’s Varsity Football Campaign may have come to an end on Monday a� er a 1-1 draw with University of Western Cape (UWC), but despite collecting only 2 points in 7 games, the men in blue and white can take a lot out of their debut season, and hopefully build on that for next year’s campaign.

With the team registering 5 defeats and 2 draws, it is clear that a lot more development needs to be channelled towards football if UCT is planning on a better showing in next year’s Campaign. � ere were lessons for everyone; the players, management and the fans too.

� ere is no arguing that the Varsity Football League is a giant leap from the University Sports South Africa (USSA) League. One would consider this to be semi-pro level, where the stakes are higher and the competition is much sti er. If there is anything UCT can learn from the success of the Ikeys rugby team, it’s the fact that the more e ort, infrastructure and funding is put into any sport, the better the results.

� e facilities available for the soccer team are not as advanced as, for example, University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and University of Pretoria (Tuks); both of which boast

professional teams and, as a result, have professional training facilities for their players. To compete at the same level as these institutions, there has to be an improvement in facilities, and UCT needs to attract more technical expertise to assist the coaching sta .

As a fan who attended UCT’s 4-0 loss to NMMU and UCT Internal League season games, it is easy to see that there are residence players who can help bolster the UCT Squad. Where are these players? And why aren’t they part of the squad? � ese are questions the management of UCT Football needs to consider.

However, in their last game, it wasn’t all doom and gloom; there were times when UCT showed a lot of � ght and promise on the � eld. Goalkeeper Bevan Adonis o� en pulled o stunning saves to keep the score line respectable, and � ami Mehlo put in some � ne performances in mid� eld. Even in the � nal game against UWC, there were moments that showed great teamwork.

It wasn’t an easy debut season, but it was one that highlighted the areas that need improvement; and if UCT plays with the same vigor - with more support from the fans and an improvement in resources and player scouting - UCT can be the surprise package next year.

OPINION: UCT’s Varsity Football Campaign

As a proud sporting nation that has fared

much better in the past, more was expected

sound too shabby at all.However, it goes without saying

that as a proud sporting nation that has fared much better in the past, more was expected. A large part of the team this year was young, but hopefully with the invaluable experience gained from this year’s championships, they will be able to return in two years time and hopefully bring back some precious metal for their e orts.

� e only way to get athletics in this country back on track, it seems, is quite simply for our athletes to get back on the track and put their best foot forward.

ALL BY YOURSELF: South Africa’s sole medallist Johan Cronje.

Image: Gallo Images

Rob Byrne

Passport shocker

While a 10-year-old might not be trusted to keep an eye on their passport, you’d hope that a fully-grown man, and manager of an international football team nonetheless, could be trusted to keep theirs safe. But for Chris Coleman, manager of the Wales football team, the task proved a little too challenging. Realising he’d misplaced his passport just before departing for Wales’ World Cup quali� er against Moldova last Friday, the manager was forced to apply for a new one, and board a later � ight to Moldova via Austria.

- Metro.co.uk

Sevens protest

It’s not unknown in sport for players to walk o the pitch in protest, whether it be because of bad sportsmanship or o� ciating. But when the Beijing Women’s Sevens side sat huddled in the centre of the pitch on account of two unwarranted red cards given by the referee, there was no mercy shown from the opposition or o� cials. � e protest began with a little over � ve minutes remaining, with Beijing trailing 15-0 to Shandong, however, the referee allowed play to continue therea� er and Beijing lost 71-15 as their opponents scored consecutive tries.

- Metro.co.uk

I could have beaten Bolt

Disgraced former Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson has claimed in a recent interview that he would have beaten Usain Bolt in his pomp. � e Canadian Athlete, who was stripped of his 100m medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics a� er testing positive for anabolic steroids, claimed to have “more power” than the Jamaican. A bold claim, considering his personal best (on drugs) was still slower than the 9.58 Bolt recorded in Berlin in 2009.

- bbc.co.uk/sport

“Quiet word” results in conviction

When Tennis player � omas Drouet was taken aside by John Tomic, the father of training partner and world number 52 Bernard Tomic, he expected an apology on account of his well-known eccentric behaviour. Instead, he was spat on and headbutted by the Croatian, resulting in a broken nose and bruised vertebrae requiring corrective surgery. A Spanish court this week found Tomic Snr guilty, imposing an eight month sentence. However, under Spanish law, as he has no previous convictions and the sentence was less than two years, he will not go to prison.

- Metro.co.uk

SPORTS BITES

15v72 e10 –10 September 2013sport

A spy in the camp

White line fever rob byrneSports Editor

SportS ShortS

TennisUCT WomEn’s Tennis team recently took on the highly esteemed Harvard University in a memorable and unique set of matches. Unfortunately, due to test week and prior academic commitments, UCT was unable to put out their strongest team, nevertheless, those who competed gave it their all, with all ties being fiercely competitive and consisting of long, aggressive rallies. Despite UCT getting some great opportunities in their singles ties, they were unable to grab the advantage from their American counterparts, with Harvard ending up on top across the various ties. Despite UCT’s loss, Club Chairman, Rainer Steinhagen, explained how he believed that ability-wise, both teams were on par. “Harvard was just a more ‘well- oiled machine’, he said. It’s quite visible that they train much harder and have had a lot more match practice,” he added. Although on the day UCT fought hard, they fell short. Despite the outcome, the event allowed UCT and Harvard students to interact with one another, sharing stories of each other’s countries and universities. Steinhagen concluded: “Hopefully

Megan KinnairdWith contributions from Krysia Gaweda and Sarah Duncan.

these are the sort of relationships we can build on in the future to receive more international exposure. Conversing with prestigious universities also brings to light possible improvements one can implement in one’s own environment.”

BasketballUCT Women’s Basketball Second Team won a memorable 41-37 victory against the Montana Vikings in the semi-finals of the Western Province Basketball Association Division Two league on Wednesday, August 28th. They are the first UCT team in eight years to make the semi-final, and the first team in UCT history to make it through to the final, where

they face Gugulethu Hustlers. The side held a steady lead in the first three quarters, but the Vikings struck back in the final quarter drawing fouls and creating space and time for their shooters to score. With three minutes left on the clock, Mathabo Malange managed to solidify UCT’s lead with two perfect free throws, as well as a layup. UCT player Sarah Duncan was ecstatic, “In essence, we really had to come together as a team and trust each other as well as our training … we have really come far as a team and are looking forward to the final,” she said.

is upon us, an appointment of this scale hardly comes as a surprise. The shock announcements began when Mark Webber announced his plan to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the current season. While Lotus Renault’s Kimi Raikkonnen had previously been linked to Red Bull, it seems as though a possible return to Scuderia Ferrari are looking ever more likely. However, Ferrari would have to swallow a huge chunk of pride since they released Kimi at the end of 2009 with a 20 million pound golden handshake to make way for their current talisman, Fernando Alonso.

The general feeling among quite a number of fans is that Ricciardo’s appointment to Red Bull ensures that Vettel continues unopposed as the team’s front man. True as that may be, let’s not forget that Ricciardo has shown a significant amount of pace in previous races. He scored 22 points in his first season at STR compared to Vettel’s 35 in 2008, in a car that was much weaker than it was when Vettel raced it. Plus, he is adaptable and mature in his racing; driver error has also been minimal on his part in comparison to his team mate at STR. Ricciardo also served as Red Bull’s reserve driver in 2010 and in the first half of 2011, so he knows the team well and the racing culture surrounding it. He should thus have no problem settling in and producing championship winning results.

My bet is that we’ll see a very competitive Daniel Ricciardo come 2014, when the playing field will most likely be levelled with the drastic regulation changes set to come in.

Mark Nandi

On Monday, September 2nd, Red Bull officially announced that Daniel Ricciardo will be taking up their second drivers seat, alongside Sebastian Vettel, for the 2014 Formula 1 season. I, like many, feel that Vettel needs a true racer alongside him to prove his worth, seeing that he has had the fastest car since the start of the 2010 Formula 1 season. But there are many who are nevertheless excited by the move.

So what does Ricciardo’s appointment mean for the team and for Formula 1 in general? Firstly, I think Red Bull have reaffirmed their commitment to the Young Driver Programme, which looks to build racers from early ages, ripe for the

Will Red Bull give Ricciardo wings?

picking when spaces need to be filled. Interestingly, Ricciardo’s current team, Scuderia Toro Rosso (STR), is sponsored by Red Bull’s owner and billionaire, Dietrich Mateschitz and has a secondary purpose of feeding fresh talent to Red Bull Racing. Vettel had his spell at STR in 2008 before being promoted to Red Bull a season later.

Secondly, I feel Red Bull have opted for longevity as they did with Vettel in 2009. Ricciardo is 24 years of age and definitely has the talent and resolve to be nurtured into an impressive racer. Red Bull wish to invest time and resources into a young racer whom they feel will take the mantle should Vettel decide to offer his services elsewhere on the grid.

As the Formula 1 “silly season”

He should have no problem settling in and

producing Championship winning results

Over a month ago, I wrote in this very column about the “Gareth

Bale domino effect.”Staring into my crystal ball, and

with a pinch of salt, I foresaw a chain reaction of transfers that would lead me to being drafted into UCT’s Varsity Cup Football squad.

And you know what? It actually happened, although not quite as I predicted.

Bale went to Madrid, Khama Billiat left Ajax Cape Town, but completely unrelated, I was included in the UCT squad for their penultimate game against North-West University, in Mafikeng.

“Aha, the power of the media,” I hear you say. I’d like to hope it was more to do with my footballing prowess, although after half an hour of being run ragged by NWU’s promising winger, Luthando Nt o k w e n z a n i , I wasn’t exactly stating my case very well.

As a player I feel I now have to surrender any semblance of objectivity with regard to football at UCT. Like an embedded journalist in a warzone, or a travel writer on an all-expense-paid excursion, it would seem almost pointless to present an objective account.

This is gonzo journalism, so here we go…

I think the tournament is great. Great for football development in South Africa, great for UCT, and great for the players and coaches involved. I certainly have never known football at such a level.

What hasn’t been so great however, is UCT’s performance in the competition. They found themselves bottom of the table, without registering a single win from their seven games. The step up has been tough, no doubt, but there can be no greater carrot to encourage the development of football at the University.

For the players, the professional treatment is at times staggering. Being flown around the country, playing in televised matches, and being given a platform on the national stage cannot be underestimated.

On a personal level, even playing in front of a large partisan home

crowd in Mafikeng was without doubt the highlight of a so far forgettable "career". I’m normally lucky if crowds reach double figures rather than numbering thousands.

In Mafikeng, there couldn’t have been more of a David vs. Goliath feel about the tie. I think this is really lost on a lot of people who follow football at our University.

UCT is competing with the big boys. In Mafikeng, we were hosted by a University that ploughs

a significant amount of money into football alone. Players are all recipients of scholarships, and are there according to playing ability, rather than academic prowess.

The NWU “Soccer Institute” is a world class facility, that was launched in 2007 by the University and with funding from the English Premier League and the South African Football Foundation.

You only have to look at AmaTuks signing last week of NWU’s striker Thabo “Scara” Mnyamane, a player who picked up two goals and the man-of-the-match award against UCT (stolen from the clutches of Bevan Adonis, who had a superb game, I might add).

This is the calibre UCT is up against. It is why, despite the 2-1 loss in Mafikeng, they were able to take the lead and be competitive for 90 minutes.

So not all hope is lost. Qualification for next year’s tournament, as I understand it, is based on performance in the USSA Nationals occurring in December, where if UCT can match their more impressive performances in the more low-key regional competition, they stand a good chance of competing again in next year’s version. But they, and the University, will demand they do better in 2014.

There can be no greater carrot to encourage the development of football

at the University

INTERNATIONAL TIES: UCT and Harvard’s Women’s sides ahead of their recent matches

Image: Flickr.com/nic_r

Image: Stephen de Kock

FIXTURES

SportportVARSITY UCT Table Tennis Club AGM

Wednesday September 18th, 7pm

UCT SPORTSHALL 2

Leyds to the Force?

Megan Kinnaird

UCT Table Tennis club has recently come into hard times. With a lack of attendance at practices and a non-functioning committee, the club has e� ectively become inactive.

� is resulted in the current Vice-Chairperson Jordan Silverman sending out an urgent “Save Our Club” Vula announcement two weeks ago; an immediate call for all members to attend the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 18th.

VARSITY sat down with Silverman to gain a better understanding of the current circumstances. He hoped the AGM could turn around the club’s fortunes, “We will try to put in place a solid and committed team to run the club from this point onwards and forwards into 2014,” he said. � is will be the � rst of many steps designed to bring about the restoration of the club.

Sports Coordinator Kerr Rogers explained that it is crucial for at least 13 of the registered members of the table tennis club to be present at the AGM, so as to ful� l the quorum. Similarly, “� ey then need to elect at least four members onto their

UCT Table Tennis Club on the brink

committee that will be prepared to work with UCT Sport and Recreation to ensure the Club functions and provides table tennis opportunities

for their members,” he said.If a new committee is not elected,

the club will fail to ful� l constitutional requirements and will potentially be excluded from UCT Sport and Recreation funding in 2014. “Without Sport and Recreation support the club would � nd it very di� cult to keep on surviving and would more than likely be closed,” said Rogers.

Silvermann highlighted several

factors that have led to the waning of the club, including the big turnout of members at the start of the year lasting only for the � rst two or three weeks, “...and then the attendance rapidly diminishes to two or three people who turn up to practice,” he said. � is lack of attendance demotivated the committee to keep returning to practices, due to the fact that there is little reward for the regular e� orts they put in.

In this stagnant state, Silverman explains that the club was le� in the hands of himself, as Vice-Chairperson, and Udhir Ramnath, as current Chairperson. However, “Udhir is doing his Masters in Bio-Kinetics and I no longer attend UCT,” he said. � erefore both do not have the ability to entirely commit to the club. In his defence, Silverman said,

“We made it clear at the end of last year that neither of us would be able to commit for the whole year but there was no one else willing to step forward and take on the role.”

In this respect, Rogers told VARSITY that more motivation from the club members is essential, as the resources to run the club are already in place. “� e infrastructure is there but it requires students that are prepared to manage the equipment and their members and provide table tennis opportunities for their members to be involved in,” he said.

In terms of the value of the sport, both Rogers and Silverman have great praise for its inclusivity. “Table tennis is a sport that everyone can get involved in no matter their physical ability or disability and it is important for bringing people together from all

walks of life,” Silverman said. Rogers added that the Table Tennis Club boasts one of the cheapest yearly membership fees, at only R180.

Mapping a way forward for the club, Silverman stated that in the short term “there needs to be a big marketing push in order to get as many sign-ups as possible and � nd people who want to carry it forward in both the competitive and social aspects of the sport”.

In the more distant future, they are looking to raise a team to play and represent UCT at the USSA tournament in East London at the end of the year. “Getting a team together that can compete at championships and the Western Province league would be a bonus, but for now, a regular attendance at practices would be the � rst step,” he said.

The club has e� ectively become inactive

Rob Byrne

Despite former Ikey Demetri Catrakilis recently putting pen

to paper on his move back to Western Province, it seems a current Ikeys star may well move not only away from Province, but from domestic rugby in South Africa as a whole.

It is VARSITY’s understanding that UCT’s star full-back and former Baby Bok Dillyn Leyds is in negotiations to join Australian Super Rugby out� t the Western Force.

Both UCT Rugby and Western Province declined to comment on the move following a urry of recent media speculation, with Western Province’s Strategic Communications Manager, Howard Khan, not privy to any details while negotiations are ongoing between clubs.

� e Ikeys full-back would join what is becoming an increasingly UCT avoured set-up in Perth, being reunited with former coaches Kevin Foote and David Wessels, who were recently con� rmed as Backs Coach and Senior Assistant Coach respectively.

According to Die Burger, Leyds may also be joined by fellow WP Under-21 team mate, prop, Francois van Wyk. � ese moves come as part of a deliberate ploy by the Western Force to target up-and-coming South African players, recently made possible by the Australian Rugby Union granting permission for the Force to have a maximum of

eight foreign players on their books, seven of whom have to be eligible to play for the national side within seven years.

Speaking to Die Burger, Foote, who has been spotted recently in Cape Town, has said that Leyds would join on a one-year contract, adding, “It’s a very good opportunity for them. � ey [Leyds and van Wyk]

could always return.”� e young Ikey is one of a number

of WP players to be tempted down under, with centre Marcel Brache and prop Chris Heiberg already making the move.

Leyds would no doubt be familiar with the two players, with Brache being a 2011 Varsity Cup winning Ikey and recent Currie Cup winner,

and Heiberg a runner-up for the Ikeys in 2010 in their � nal against Stellenbosch.

� e Force presently employs the services of South Africans Wilhelm Steenkamp and Sias Ebersohn, and have, according to Supersport.com, appointed former Proteas Coach Mickey Arthur to head their South African recruitment drive. Following his dismissal as the Australian Cricket Coach, Arthur is understood to be eager not to uproot his family and stay in Perth, a city the South African now calls home.

� e controversial � gure will head up a new High Performance Academy designed to cater for South African talent, which will reportedly draw upon Arthur’s connections in the rugby world this side of the Indian Ocean.

It remains to be seen whether the signing of Leyds will pave the way for more UCT and Western Province talent to leave these shores, but with former Ikeys players and coaches in Perth, it seems likely others will follow.

Not only does the club have the allure of more regular Super Rugby appearances, but South Africans can also enjoy living amongst a visible expat community, earn Australian dollars and live in an economically burgeoning area. With that in mind, UCT should be wary of the role it’s playing in luring talent away from South Africa.

With former Ikeys players and coaches in Perth, it seems likely others will

follow ON THE MOVE: Leyds in action during the Ikeys Varsity Cup CampaignImage: � ickr.com.vark

Image: PlatePictures

Super League A Rugby

Saturday September 14th, 4pm

THE GREEN MILE

FNB UCT 1st XV Vs SK-WALMERS

2013: Edition 10

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Transcript of 2013: Edition 10