Nabil's Blog: Confused!#links

Nabil's Blog: Confused!#links
your post was an eye opener to many, and as i have written an article on coping with first year university, my post seems so irrelevant compared to urs. i realised your situation is far more intense and heart sore. the issues i dealt with are leaving home an adjusting to the new life and choosing subjects correctly. your post is touching and deals with students who are unable to use their degrees. my heart also bleeds to every Iraqi student who cannot finish his degree. you cannot give up and with faith and hope,things should improve there.

Reply to an Opinion piece

This is a reply to an opinion piece labelled “lecture theatre relationships”
On blog site - Tales from a rhodent
Firstly, I would like to agree with your statement that there is definitely a problem with first year students and lecturers this term. I am quite aware that there seems to be unease in the lectures, but as students we need to adapt to the lecturers way of teaching, and if this means keeping quiet in class, then we should! Respect has to be earned and in order for the lecturer to respect you, you have to respect him and the manner in which he teaches. I think you generalised in terms of faculties, as I know of several Bcom students who leave their theatres half way through the lectures. All lecturers are different, and the fact that that our previous lecturer Priscilla Boshoff also had a problem with the level of noise, does not give a good impression to JMS1 students. The first time Sim pointed out talking in his class should have been a lesson for the rest of us, but people still continued to talk, even after his requests. In my opinion that is rude, and if you don’t want to be at the lecture, you shouldn’t bother coming, it is a distraction to the class and to the lecturer when a student leaves half way through a presentation. Lectures are optional, so instead of disrupting the class, rather not attend and cause bad relations with the lecturer. Although the fault lies partly with us, I also think that lecturers should aim to make the lectures more interesting in order to gain the students full attention.

There was a time when proving yourself or fitting in simply meant getting the right clothes and having a bad attitude but fashion does not last long and what is in today could be called vintage tomorrow. Nowadays the new trends have changed and what we used to call a trend such as fashion is gradually falling behind as something harder to stop becomes the new way to make yourself feel like you are fitting in. These days you don’t just get into a click and immediately fit in, you have to get in, fit in and make sure you maintain that position at all costs…no matter what the costs. Keeping up with the Jones’ is something most students in first year will do just about anything to do and keep, even to the detriment of their academics and sometimes even their lives. This trend is one that is taking over slowly but surely, this is a trend that is very much alive in most if not all universities, this trend is alcohol abuse.

There are a few students who choose not to even venture into the scary woods of alcohol in the fear of getting lost in there forever but then you find those who choose to explore, live a little and experiment since first year is all about experimenting in order to gain experience. Most students in first year are on the verge of being alcoholics and this is indicative in the way they party, their dependency on alcohol and their conduct once they have consumed too much alcohol. There are students who start partying from as early as Wednesday with the full intention of skipping lectures for the rest of the week since they know it will be pretty hard to get up for lectures if they have hangovers. Rhodes University is infamous for being the ‘drinking capital’ and even though many campaigns, such as getting societies to stop giving free alcohol, have been implemented by the school to try and curb the amount of alcohol consumed by students there are still those who drink too much alcohol and it has become a norm to forget what happened on Friday night.

Friday nights are usually packed with countless students drinking and ‘having fun’ as they call it, not realising that some of them are pretty close to going over the edge and depending solely on alcohol to have fun. No matter how sick they get, they still keep drinking and despite the effects of drinking, they still carry on in order to fit in or prove to others that they can have as many drinks as possible without getting drunk. The boys cheer each other on and laugh at each others actions when they are drunk while the girls just do it for the fun of it or to have a better time because they feel that when they are drunk they have more fun. Some students even take it to the extreme by drinking in private spaces; they drink in the comfort of their rooms in order to motivate themselves to study or to calm themselves down just before a test or an exam. These types of students are so immune to alcohol that they do not even get drunk; instead alcohol has become like a drug to them and has a calming effect as opposed to an energising effect.

As a first year coming from protective homes, first years generally get overwhelmed by the freedom they get furthermore they do not know anyone so they do just about anything to prove themselves and fit in, this is also fuelled further by peer pressure. Alcohol is a substance that should be consumed in small quantities and not drank in excess and even though your first drink might be a memorable experience (sometimes not memorable because of you forget everything), the drink after that might be the drink that could make you one step closer to being an alcoholic. Drink responsibly.

First Year Alcoholism - you must be blind not to see it!!

This is a reply to the opinion piece entitled "Firts Years Alcoholics. . . I Protest. ." on the blog: http://intermsoftomatoes.blogspot.com . Have a look at it before reading further..

The Journal of the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as "a primary, chronic disease characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking." According to this definition, an alcoholic is not in fact simply someone who has to drink each and every day as is defined by this opinion piece. Therefore the entire argument is flawed, because as I am sure you will agree, there are more than just a few Rhodents who use alcohol despite its adverse consequences and beyond the limitations at which their thinking becomes distorted.

Technically, according to the definition by the Journal of the American Medical Association most Rhodes students in fact balance on the verge of alcoholism, or have toppled over it. So as a counterargument to your argument that most first year Rhodes students are not alcoholics, I would put it to you to consider that most in fact are, and I would ask you to look for a reliable medical definition of what alcoholism is before assuming that your opinion is correct. Also consider the matter of “binge alcoholics” who do not need to drink every day, but still get completely drunk on a regular basis.

Just my liddle opinion.

University is a great big, trouble free bubble. Nothing but swanky soirees and unusual yet fascinating people. This is the opinion held by many a First Year.

Lies. Damn lies.


Coming from a town like Welkom (where clog-like shoes and spiral perms are still the height of sophistication and chic), I thought that moving to a university town like Grahamstown would solve all my problems.

I would never be bored or lonely. The people would be like the characters in all my favourite novels – cool intellectuals, expanding my horizons with their deeply philosophical and unique banter. Finally, I would fit in and be adored for the unique yet deeply misunderstood little snowflake that I was; free from the confines of my overly-conservative upbringing.

As with most long-held expectations, this one bombed the instant I arrived at Rhodes.

Firstly, the loneliness pounced on me like a combusting man headed for a swimming pool. The cool intellectuals, it seemed, had all gone to sun themselves at some other university. I was stuck, instead, with a group of people more pretentious than the conversations at Fashion Week.

With everyone trying to impress and make new friends, it was extremely difficult to find someone who was genuinely being themselves. The same generic chatter would surface, with band names and movie titles being dropped all about the floor around me like overworked bumblebees.

People even started to dress the same. Or if not the same, they would go the opposite route and dress like burlesque dancers and lumberjacks. I found that coming to university does not guarantee you a lifelong friendship - or even tolerable companionship – with people you will like.

People at university are harder to decode, harder to trust, and harder to hold onto than the friends you would make at school. School relationships have a longer time to develop – at varsity you learn to take what you can get just to avoid looking like a hermit/ drifter/ paedophile.

Assuming that I would fit in straight away was an even bigger lapse in brain activity. People at university were just as guarded and judgemental as the people in my hometown – they just hid it better with protestations of social liberalism and claims to open and worldly minds.

There was just as big an expectation to belong to a generic at Rhodes. Appearance was the defining factor – with everyone scrambling to find groups of people who seemed to have something in common with them.

Girls with Guess handbags paired up with girls with Guess handbags.
Boys with skinny-jeans and All Stars paired up with boys with skinny-jeans and All Stars.
Jocks with Jocks.
Preppy Kids with Preppy Kids.
Nerds with Nerds.
Hardly the liberal judgement-free Utopia I had been expecting.

Suddenly, old Welkom didn’t seem so bad. I had a mom to do everything for me, a group of friends who knew everything about me, and I had a defined identity – known to everyone about town. Here at Rhodes I was just another addict looking for a fix of popularity and companionship.

I’m not saying that Rhodes is a terrible place; it’s actually grown on me (and not like a cancer). I have found kindness, friendship and honesty. It just wasn’t as effortless a process as I had expected. Coming to university will not solve your problems – that is something you do yourself.

Sitting in your hometown and wishing the time away is the biggest mistake you can make. Enjoy that time – it’s the last time in your life where you will know anything with certainty. Expect less from university; try not to let it make you bitter.

But most of all, know that the search for the things you want is always worth it.

Reflecting on the past.

Looking back over the past few months, reflecting on events, moments leading up to those events and finally the outcome to those events, I have come to realise how extremely productive and interesting life this term at Rhodes has been. From the many different people I have met to the gruelling assignments, all of which have played their part in moulding me into the all newly ‘improved’ person that I have become.

Planning was the key ingredient to being productive. While most 1st years were planning how to fit in an assignment and study time in-between party nights, I was juggling quality time between my wife, two boys and the dreaded DEADLINES. On a number of occasions I was met with encouragement by newly made acquaintances, but mainly by Jenni, my wife. She would often have to hand me her pair of binoculars so I could see what I stood to gain at the end of what sometimes seemed to be an endlessly long, dark and dungy tunnel.

Story ideas are not easy to fabricate. What made it even more difficult was the fact that five very different people were asked to blog on one sight, 5 In Blindsight. This is exactly what it was, blind-sight. Expected to come up with story ideas of similar genre is no easy task. One may as well be blindfolded, asked to cross a busy highway and expected to emerge on the other side with your head still attached to your shoulders.

My next reflexive thought, performance at formative meetings. What a disaster. I don’t remember us ever being able to successfully meet up with every member of the group at any given time. Not even the lure of pizza and beer, unbelievable for students I know, could get us together as a group. The only successful meetings were the compulsory ones on a Tuesday afternoon with Lindsey, our tutor.

I am not one to complain and hate the sound of my last two paragraphs. Life without challenges leads to life without growth. My personal growth in this last term is showing, if not to others, most definitely to myself. On a scale of one to ten, I give myself a nine. Being introduced to blogging has placed long term goals I have set for myself higher up the ladder. Grahamstown is going to be my home for a very long time. Blogging is a great way to be in touch with the rest of the world.

This brings me to the question of whether blogging is journalism or not. It all depends on one’s journalistic mission. For me, journalism is about having the power to make a difference. The web is growing in numbers on a daily bases. The more readers one has the bigger the difference made at the end of the day. As I have learnt the last week or so, there are many different methods one can use to have your ‘posts’ read, I just had to remember to ‘keep it real’.

Research was the key element to ‘keeping it real’. By searching the web for current affairs, topics that are more recently open for discussion, made blogging that much more meaningful. Everyday life at Rhodes aided with our blog genre. The topic “Surviving First Year” allowed for a broad and open discussion of the pros and cons of life as a 1st year. The only hitch was finding the time to ‘post’.

When ‘posting’ on a specific topic, sources become extremely valuable. By creating hyperlinks I was able to give the reader of my ‘post’ additional sources where more information could be obtained relating to the topic of discussion. The web is by far the easiest access to additional sources. A little hair-raising at times was when I had to personally interview a source. Thoughts of misquoting ran through my head. Then the question of whether or not the source would have allowed photos to be taken and even when photos were allowed, the question of which photos would have been allowed to be displayed on the blog site which potentially would be viewed by millions of people had to be answered.

Finally, it all boils down to the writing. Ethics played a major part here. I believe I was able to express myself a little easier when I was asked to comment on other blog ‘posts’. The reason for this is I sometimes felt that certain ethics of fellow bloggers were non-existent. Blogging comes with great responsibility. What was ‘posted’ became accessible to millions of people worldwide. Even if other fellow bloggers don’t care, I most certainly did and I still most certainly do.

Honest to Blog... I must just say...

This is a short reply to the opinion piece posted by "Mazet" entitled: "Homosexuality".

I hate going into arguments like this. Arguments that rest on Religion for a justification. I am a firm non-believer in what the institution of religion has come to stand for. Originally a beautiful piece of hope for millions, intended to give a structure to the world whilst giving believers the comfort of knowing that they are not alone when the lights go out - Religion has morphed into some horrific justification for the bigoted and ignorant of the world.

"Homosexuality is a sin in my eyes. It is an act of denying God's creation and God's plan with an individual's life." My veins are pumping battery acid right now. Firstly, the Bible was created in an archaic world - cultural relativism has outdated many of the practises described in the Bible.

Because we don't live in 400 AC. We don't stone people to death, we don't keep women subordinate to men and we for damn sure don't crucify people anymore. Its funny how ol' homophobe over here doesn't hate THESE positive progressions, but loathes the fact that its not fair to lynch a homo like in the good days with JC. This is a typical case of Religion being used to veil personal ignorance.

So you don't like homosexuals. I'm pretty sure they don't like you either. I'm sure lots of people don't like lots of people for lots of different reasons. Just wish you had been brave enough to admit that instead of hiding behind Jesus to make yourself look noble and good.

Homo or Hetero, we all go "Ouchies!" when we stub our toes. Whether its with men or women that you find love - love is a beautiful thing. You search your whole life to find it, and often it is shocking, unexpected and messy. But its the last redeeming factor in these times of war, destruction and tragedy. The world has bigger problems than men kissing men.

I'm sure God is more insulted by the genocides, murders and abuses being committed across the world than he is of the Transgender man/lady in Fables. Why don't we tackle all that first before we start locking up the gays? Mmmmk pumpkin?

Looky! Even Heteros can be siff -


This biggoty piecey of pseudo goodness can be found at: http://gerbilthefunkyrhodent.blogspot.com/2008/10/homosexuality.html#links

First Year Mislead

The opinion piece entitled “First Year Defined” sounds more like ‘First Year Mislead’ if you ask me. Once again all first years are being labelled by an individual, an extremely mislead individual at that too. The scary part of this is that anyone worldwide has access to read the utter nonsense as it is posted on a blog site. I feel ashamed to be seen next to anyone who disrespects Rhodes University in this manner. People with this mentality should rather give up studying now before anymore of their ‘precious’ time is wasted. I have sat next to people who get firsts when they are not out partying and when they do party and miss lectures they barely scrape through. Rhodes has a system that has worked for many years now and I am sure will continue to work for many more years to come. If ‘Lord Harold III’ believes anyone will ever take his advice seriously he had better start looking for another career as there is no place for this kind of mentality in journalism!

Coping with first year!

“First years only do assignments the day before and are generally slack”

Although my argument for, “first years only do assignments the day before and are generally slack” is a very generalised comment, I believe most first years are victims of this. First years tend to procrastinate and leave all their work for the last moment, possibly because they have done it before in high school and gotten away with it, so they think that varsity is no different. Once you start doing an assignment the day before and obtain a really pleasing mark, you have this idea in your mind that it will always work, and you find yourself using the most over rated statement at varsity, ‘I work well under pressure” which in my opinion is just pure luck! Trust me, one day it will catch up to you.

Being a first year is not as easy as it sounds, and most first years tend to take a lot of things for granted, including their work. Finding the balance between academics and social life is one of the most challenging parts of being a first year, and the ideology that ‘first year is easy’ is utter nonsense. Each individual is different, and it is only fair to believe the ideology once you have passed first year with flying colours and can look back and have no regrets. Many first years don’t take their courses seriously, and as a result they end up failing certain subjects and have to fall back a year. Most first years don’t realise that all the assignments add up in the end and this could determine whether you pass or fail your subject.

After observing several students in the jacaranda labs the night before an assignment was due, I noticed that most of them were not really interested in the content of their work as they were rushing to finish on time and printed their work without even proof reading. You cannot produce work to your full ability when you do it last minute, as most assignments require thorough research and well thought out arguments. If you are pressed for time, you neglect this factor, and the only worry on your mind is “will I finish on time?” .This results in assignments being slack and lecturers having to question us on our ability to write assignments.

Ever heard of the quote, “if you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up somewhere else”. Well most first years are very enthusiastic when they come to university and don’t really know what they want. Although it’s quite normal to have these mixed feelings, especially since they only in first year and not expected to make life long decisions, they should at least know that they are here to attain a degree and by neglecting the most important part of university, which is academics, they could risk losing their place at varsity.

First years are generally overwhelmed by the incredible opportunities available and seek advice from almost everyone. While this is advisable, sometimes getting the wrong advice could mess up your perceptions of certain aspects of varsity life and could change your view on how to tackle first year, especially with work. In my opinion, I think that even though some subjects are more demanding than others, you should dedicate enough time to studies and do assignments in advance to prevent them from being slack.

First years are not interested in politics!

The fact that I am at Rhodes University this very instance is proof alone that this statement is untrue. I am 32, have two kids, a lovely wife and, I am also a white male living in post apartheid South Africa.

I am embedded in politics. I have lived it, eaten it, dreamt it and this year I have begun to study it. I am often asked the question, “How did you end up at Rhodes, what made you want to study NOW?” To answer this question has always being difficult for me, even now. Realizing that the answer is so complicated because the situation I find myself in has been developing ever since the day I was born.

It is no coincidence that my main subjects include Economics, Politics and Journalism. I am extremely concerned with the state of South Africa and hopefully by the end of my lifespan at Rhodes, instead of being a ‘burden’, I will be better equipped to aid in the many political battles this country faces.

Some may think I have a chip on my shoulder after reading the first paragraph of this opinion piece, maybe I do. I think otherwise. People are being discriminated against on a daily basis. People of all colours, race, gender and whatever else the human race has been classified as. If I truly had a chip on my shoulder I would not still be living in South Africa. Like so many other South Africans, I would have immigrated long ago. I have family in England who are always trying to persuade me to move over there, friends in Australia have continuously begged me to immigrate. The truth is my heart is for South Africa.

There’s a great movie you should hire if you have not seen it yet, Blood Diamond. One of the lines in this movie has stuck with me for some time now. There is a belief that the red sands covering most of South Africa and Africa for that matter are caused by all the blood that has been shed, the wars that have been fought over the land we call home. Blood, sweat and tears are still being shed on a daily basis. The human race does not seem to learn from past mistakes.

I would like to live in a world where no-one gets discriminated against, a place where the only concern is for the person who does not have a plate of food in front of him/her every night. There are large debates since the beginning of time relating to the topic of humans, life and how one should be treated. Personal gain is not a problem as long as there are no ‘casualties of war’. The advantage gained of some is to the detriment of another, this is not OK!

Responding to the statement at the top of the page, “first years are not interested in politics”, this is surely not true for all and I hope in my opinion above I have managed to convince most who read it that politics is a concern and interest for all who live in South Africa and surely all who live in the rest of the world.

The latest rant of Terri - Princess of Denial (as well as the universe and all things cute and fluffy).

SO, this is my second personal blog, I guess its pretty evident that I find this whole blogging fiasco to be quite cathartic. I'm just a little bothered about something.

You see, the thing I hate most about first year is the loneliness. I've never been lonely - I guess that's the problem... I always had my group of friends at school, and I never felt completely alone in a room full of people. Here at Rhodes though, I constantly feel oblivious in crowds, unnoticed, unapreciated and strangely mute.

You put on your best dress, your pretty shoes, you do your hair and you make an effort to look spritely and interesting. But it never really matters, nobody sees the real you. And the scariest thing is knowing that they probably don't want to. The music is always too loud and no matter how hard you try, you never seem to stand out. I never had this problem, I'm a pretty damn wierd individual, and I never had to fight for attention. But its not enough here. And I find myself partaking in the lamest of all pursuits - that for attention - unconciously. I cant help it... I speak louder, I dress funnier and I make more effort than I should in talking to people.

I had a bit of an epiphany last night amidst the cloud of smoke and hormonal force that is the Rat and Parrot. I realised I dont want to be this person that fights for attention. I mean, I've got through the better part of 19 years being myself - Im not going to let anyone here change me. If people dont like it they can step on an active landmine for all I care. Id rather be lonely than desperate.

Comic Strip

Poverty Stricken in the 21st Century

Governments have been ‘prioritising’ poverty for many, many years now. I am a little confused though. I don’t need to drive far before I am surrounded by communities living out of tin shacks. The last time I checked this is the 21st century, a time where technologies and resources are made available beyond comprehension. You might ask what this has to do with alleviating poverty, that this is only the consequences of poverty but when last have you tried living out of a tin shack? The experience is surely demoralizing. Low moral and low self-esteem do not benefit in the gain of work. This is not a criticism towards the government of all countries; this is an appeal to set priorities straight. Put aside internal disputes and aim for a better life for all, this is the least one is allowed to ask for.

View the following link for more on poverty in South Africa http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-10-01-presidency-not-enough-done-to-address-poverty

The Epic Tale of Masta Jay

Josh Martin, also known as Big Jay or Masta Jay, is a naturally charismatic and friendly, yet still strangely enigmatic person. It is obvious that below the surface, tucked away below his happy face and cheerful smile, lies a powerful intelligence and a witty sense of humour. The combination of these characteristics makes him an undeniably interesting person to interview and adds a certain flavour to his tale of his first year at Rhodes. Maybe not the biggest looking person in the world, his weight is deceiving, because he has assured me a good few times now that he weighs “like a hundred dude!” What can I say, looks are deceiving…

When asked what made him decide to attend Rhodes, Josh answers with a “well… it had always been my plan to attend Rhodes to study journalism,” and then with a wry chuckle, “well that’s gone to the dogs!” With a quick movement Josh flicks his head in order to remove the fringe of blonde hair that had managed to creep into his eyes and begins to tell of how he was initially keen to study drama, as that was always his first love, but he thought journalism would offer a more stable career path. “I have absolutely no idea why,” he adds with a questioning look followed by another chuckle.

Josh unpacks his Rizla and tobacco and begins to roll a cigarette as the interview continues. By this point it had become obvious that journalism was not one of the highlights of his first year at Rhodes, so I thought it a prudent time to enquire what exactly he had enjoyed most. Josh does not hesitate for a second to supply his answer: “definitely the vibe,” he says. He explains that because he came from a conservative community (Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal) he never really felt completely comfortable but in comparison Rhodes is very “chilled about wearing whatever you want to wear and doing whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it.” Then came a deep, thoughtful look as Josh considered his next statement, which was, “Rhodes isn’t obviously all about the jolling, it’s also about work. This year I found I have been able to channel the things I am good at into my work more than I was able to do at school. I have been able to channel my creative energies more effectively which has definitely helped my academics.” Like I have said, he is definitely not lacking in intelligence, as can be seen from that statement.

My next question was: “if you could go back in time, what single thing would you do differently?” Josh’s answer to this surprised me a bit because it was not the type of answer I expected from him. He said that if he could do one thing differently he would have been more disciplined, not in the area of work as is a common wish, but rather in his drama auditions. When I asked him to elaborate on this comment he explained that he is by nature a joker and so he jokes around all the time, and as a result ended up making something very important to himself into a big joke. I sensed an aura of self-disappointment lingering around this facet of his year at Rhodes but fortunately being the incredibly talented actor that he is he will undoubtedly have many opportunities to prove himself in the future.

The single biggest factor for Josh’s survival through first year at Rhodes has, according to him, been his friendship group. He says that he can manage the workload and the pressures by himself, but said that, “in down moments I need to talk to people and without mates I would have been in some trouble. I literally wouldn’t have gotten this far.” At this point Josh decided that he needed to listen to a certain a song, and although I do not know the name of the song, it is an old-time classic and its jovial tone adds to the cheerful atmosphere of the room. His taste in music is different to what I usually listen to as he goes for a more “bungie” feel which suits him completely.

There are not many people that can keep you entertained by a mixture of humour, wit and originality for an extended period of time, but Josh Martin is without a doubt one of these people. I will never pretend to fully understand him because he is truly unique, but it is because of this face that I am proud to call myself his mate.

Pistol Pete

Nicholas Mulgrew - Don't Call Me Hipster

Four pairs of uber-trendy shoes are lined up in a neat little row on the last shelf of an impossibly cool bookcase, filled with authors like Augustine Burrows, Tom Robbins and Hunter S. Thompson. Frozen raucous moments line his walls - his friends look happy to see him on the other side of the camera in every shot.

Nicholas (or “Nich”) looks like one of those kids in SL Magazine who seem to know every obscure band, every “so hot right now” art house film and who drink chai tea while wearing the latest in Indie-trend fashions in some hotspot that’s yet to be discovered (and is therefore infinitely more hip than the over-commercialised haunts of has-been awesome kids). He is all of those things; he knows enough about pop culture to have a full conversation with any acclaimed media critic.

Nich’s left out the pretentiousness of these typical hipster folk, however.

With a good heart, a great vocabulary, an impressive list of achievements and a penchant for speaking his mind, Nich is a genuinely interesting and multi-faceted person. He is a talented guitarist and a passionate Christian – believing that his faith in God is the one that thing that prevents him from “topping [him]self in the morning”.

Being religious, he believes, was one of the biggest challenges he faced in being a first year – joining a highly secular society that seemed to value trends more than faith. Atheism seemed to be perceived as fashionable, and he faced a great number of these trendsetters questioning and insulting his faith. While for some time he felt alienated, he came to realise that his faith could endure ridicule, making him a “more confident Christian”.

He admits to having struggled to adapt to first year life at Rhodes, and isn’t ashamed to confess that he misses his family, his old friends and the marshmallow-like comfort of home. Coming from a “moderately high-class homestead” in Durban, Nich loves and respects his parents for providing him with the opportunity to achieve a good education, and works as hard as a Japanese Prisoner of War to keep them proud.

When he’s not working, he likes to indulge in the “great unifier”; alcohol; professing that a good draught beer is not much unlike his perception of Heaven.

Nich turned to music as a creative outlet for his angst and confusion during first year, starting an acoustic “indie-folk” duo named “The Life of Riley”. Nich advises prospective first years to find a similar creative investment to “numb the crushing pain of it all” while they struggle to achieve an identity, make trustworthy friends and stay true to who they are.

Nich is fairly ambivalent to the ways in which his personality has changed while at Rhodes, but believes that he has done a fair amount of growing up, and that he has finally found a group of real friends that he looks forward to forming “long-lasting, almost intuitive” relationships with.

With a guitar balanced with professional precariousness on his knee, he summates his theory of the “First Year Experience”: “I’m a Self-Determinist, whatever happens to you doesn’t matter, but what you do defines you, you can’t blame God for everything; some things are just up to you”.

Highs and Lows of 1st Year

Tranquillity of the turquoise blue ocean and the snow white rapids of a nearby river in Onrus are the perfect surroundings for a teenage boy to gather dreamlike childhood memories. “All I needed was my bike, my fishing rod and my BB gun”, this is Timothy Gabb’s port of call each time he travels back in time to relive his teenage years.

Almost a year ago Tim embarked on an incredibly bumpy ocean voyage. He registered at Rhodes University, his intension, to become a writer. Yet this was not his maiden voyage as far as life and its many lessons go. He talks of a distant life, one that existed before Rhodes, where for now even fonder memories lie. Post Onrus lead Tim to the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca. Nestled in the heart of the Mediterranean this island became the iconic beginning of an unforgettable two year true ocean adventure, spending the majority of this time aboard a 130 foot yacht until eventually he beached and reality brought him back to Onrus.

As his thoughts return to Rhodes Tim’s facial expressions alter slightly and the lines across his forehead become more prominent. The thought of lighting up crosses his mind. He reaches deep into his pocket revealing a brand of cigarettes familiar to most students. After lightly patting him self down his brand hits the smooth surface of Blockhouse property and all hope of lighting up disappears as the flame he was searching for is nowhere to be found. Tim cracks a smile; he knows this story owns him. His words slice through the sweet aroma of spring air as his Rhodes experience begins to surface.

Heading for a BA degree with Journalism and English as his majors, a feeling of excitement adds an extra heartbeat to Tim’s life. Everything is on track. A few lows hit him. These include a disciplinary hearing involving his 21st and a few late night/early morning assignments, but the worst was still to come. June exams are at an end, an entire month to relax, party and enjoy life. Yet an uncomfortable shadow hangs over him. One that has brought him to the worst state of depression he has ever experienced.

The Blockhouse starts to shrink as Tim recalls his worst nightmare. Surrounding matter disintegrates and even the pleasant sound of spring in the air begins to melt. His shoulders crumble, his eyes become glass and his head held up only with the aid of his hands. The frowns on his forehead become even more prominent now, an experience that ripples shivers down his spine. The expression on his face tells a story of its own.

His sister, for Tim a shining light at the end of the tunnel, decided to visit. A smile returns to his face as the thoughts of his family and the great time spent in the Transkei override the chilling depressive state he was forced to endure.

Only minutes away from his digs with temptation barking at his heels he steps into the bottle store for a couple of beers. For him Grahamstown is about no traffic and even less queues. As his front gate swings open a smile cuts across his face. It’s Friday afternoon with no deadlines lurking behind him. Sinking into an oak coloured sofa, a beer sizzling in one hand, cigarette chilling in the other, life is good. Soon he will be surrounded by much appreciated digs mates and newly made acquaintances. For Tim, this is a high.

The Rhodes Vocabulary.

I learned a whole new set of words and phrases upon coming to Rhodes. Even though I'm from the relatively oblivious town of Welkom in the Freestate, I thought that saying the word "keen" was about as cool as a neon-coloured sweatband. Not very.

Rhodents frequently use words like "lank", "stoked", "schweet", and the ever popular "mare" (EG: "Oh my God bru, I had such a mare last night" - translation: "My dear friend, I got magnificently wasted last night, made some horrendous decisions, and I want you to know this, however, I will codify and euphemise my own head off before I blankly state this fact. Chicks dig it.")

The most toxic specimen of Rhodes lingo, however, is the word "chilled".

Its everywhere. You'll see one of your friends, knowing full well their life is on a one way train headed at warp speed for the bottom of the toilet, and upon asking them how they are, they will glibly reply, with dead eyes and a completely unconvincing tone stuck somewhere between lawnmower and bumble bee: "I'm chilled hey". My response to this is usually : "No, you bloody aren't".


All men know that a girlfriend saying "I'm fine" is a mere prelude to an inevitable, tumultuous storm of hormone-driven ranting and carrying-ons. "Chilled" is the new "fine" at Rhodes.

It bothers me so much that this little phrase is meant to cover up all the problems in some one's life, but what perturbs me even more is the fact that so many people will accept this reply. Not me. Call me prudent, but I think that its important to actually have a vested interest in your friends.

Rare as a virgin in a res that will not be named (but Atherstone House... I banter, I banter), is someone actually being "chilled" when they say that they are "chilled". I wish people would stop allowing this word to make them fool themselves and their friends. Let someone know whats on your mind before you explode. That is decidedly "un-chilled", bru.

PS: Hearing "chilled" maes me go like this:... And say "Humphhhhh".