15 years ago
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Pointing Purple: Naps: A Different Language.
Pointing Purple: Naps: A Different Language-Comment
I disagree with your opinion on napping. I asked around ( in case I didn’t have my facts straight), and from what I gather, napping isn’t or shouldn’t be such a big deal. True- some guys take things too far and lure the girls into sex, but I still think, women should take better care of themselves. If you don’t want to get hurt- STAY AWAY FROM GUYS WHO HAVE DOG WRITTEN ALL OVER THEIR FACES!!! It is high time women (in first year or otherwise) make better decisions involving their bodies and take responsibility when things don’t work out in the manner they had hoped they would.
I disagree with your opinion on napping. I asked around ( in case I didn’t have my facts straight), and from what I gather, napping isn’t or shouldn’t be such a big deal. True- some guys take things too far and lure the girls into sex, but I still think, women should take better care of themselves. If you don’t want to get hurt- STAY AWAY FROM GUYS WHO HAVE DOG WRITTEN ALL OVER THEIR FACES!!! It is high time women (in first year or otherwise) make better decisions involving their bodies and take responsibility when things don’t work out in the manner they had hoped they would.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weekend Special
I think now, more than ever I understand exactly how Brenda Fassie felt when she sang that song, “Weekend Special”. It’s the saddest thing. To be let to have the time of your life, thinking it will last forever, soaking up the gladness, only to be left high and dry, when Monday morning comes along. I never thought I would let myself experience such until I arrived in the increasingly amazing town of Grahamstown.
It’s official, sunlight in Grahamstown is a weekend special. For those of you like me who are avid sunlight lovers, you must have been glad to wake up on Friday morning to discover that there was a significantly high amount of sunlight. As you may have noticed and enjoyed, it only lasted for the weekend. It’s Monday morning and lo and behold the Sun is missing again. Funny enough the same thing happened last weekend. Grahamstown enjoyed a weekend of sunlight and gladness as people popped out their mini’s and shorts, and some even went to the local swimming pool to cool off. It was good while it lasted. It’s Monday again, and the Sun is nowhere to be found. ***sigh*** Don’t put your sunscreen lotion and shorts too far away, I’m willing to bet a reasonable amount of money that by Friday, the Sun will return in all it’s glory! Enjoy the week: wind, clouds and all!
It’s official, sunlight in Grahamstown is a weekend special. For those of you like me who are avid sunlight lovers, you must have been glad to wake up on Friday morning to discover that there was a significantly high amount of sunlight. As you may have noticed and enjoyed, it only lasted for the weekend. It’s Monday morning and lo and behold the Sun is missing again. Funny enough the same thing happened last weekend. Grahamstown enjoyed a weekend of sunlight and gladness as people popped out their mini’s and shorts, and some even went to the local swimming pool to cool off. It was good while it lasted. It’s Monday again, and the Sun is nowhere to be found. ***sigh*** Don’t put your sunscreen lotion and shorts too far away, I’m willing to bet a reasonable amount of money that by Friday, the Sun will return in all it’s glory! Enjoy the week: wind, clouds and all!
Seniors vs Juniors
FIRST YEARS ARE AN EASY TARGET FOR ‘SEAL CLUBBING’
Entry into First Year University life is one that is unpredictable and one has a lot to expect but cannot really come prepared for the challenges they are about to face. First year is one of the most stressful and difficult experiences in their lives. This is a stage in that demands a lot of self-control, self esteem, a firm support system and courage. First year is the time one gets to know oneself better and at the same time making life changing decisions that shape the kind of future one wants for themself. Stress and pain define this stage in one life.
Seniors know how stressful first year is, and thus target first year students as “victims”. Since they have been through the same experience previously, they know how first year students feel and this is what makes it easier for them to target first years thus making them victims of ‘seal clubbing’. Seniors see you, and think to themselves, “I see potential in that one”, and then want to take your innocence away from you because you are seen as “fresh meat”. But this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the challenges one faces during their first year in university.
Being in first year causes stress and strain because of the entire academic decisions one is expected to make, and the stress of actually making the right decision without wasting your own time, your parent’s money or event the bursary funds money, particularly when a student doesn’t come from a wealthy family. So you want to make sure that you have made the right choice. When you have made your choice, the second challenge of coping with the workload follows.
Coping with workload is one of the main influential factors to that leads to personality breakdowns along other breakdowns such as stress, home sickness, sever stress and depression. But it isn’t academic choices that cause first year students to become victims but also an addiction of other factors. This also includes the emotion involved in being far away from home and how to deal with it.
Students have a lot of power in their hands when they leave home. They are now in control of what they do with their time without guidance. Rhodes University exhibits high level of alcohol and drug consumption with the students during their first year, as a sign of “freedom”. And with clubs, town and bottle stores being only a walk away, the access of such substances is made easier and attainable. Being drunk makes it somehow “easier” for them to deal with stress but being drunk makes it harder for one to regain control of what there are doing and usually makes people act out of their character. This increases them being at risk of being victims of ‘seal clubbers’.
But substance abuse is not only brought in by ones “freedom” but also by issues such as home sickness. Home sickness is that intense feeling, that one feels when they are away from home for a very long time or when they are suddenly separated from their guardians. Individuals feel lonely because they are missing all the dear people in their lives and thus need a “quick fix” to take the pain away. This “fix” can come in the form of substance abuse or to find that one person who will give you the attention one may need on that particular day. The longing to have someone notice you and make you feel wanted. Seniors know this kind of a feeling and play on that to get what they want.
The first year spread constantly puts first year students at risk of being used and thus scaring them for life and makes them want to do the same thing to first years to com. The mentioned factors and many others make it easier for first years to fall in trap of being victims of seal clubbing. It also shows that first years should be monitored very closely and support systems should be put in place to help them deal with such issues. Help the “young ones” get through first year without getting their hearts broke.
Entry into First Year University life is one that is unpredictable and one has a lot to expect but cannot really come prepared for the challenges they are about to face. First year is one of the most stressful and difficult experiences in their lives. This is a stage in that demands a lot of self-control, self esteem, a firm support system and courage. First year is the time one gets to know oneself better and at the same time making life changing decisions that shape the kind of future one wants for themself. Stress and pain define this stage in one life.
Seniors know how stressful first year is, and thus target first year students as “victims”. Since they have been through the same experience previously, they know how first year students feel and this is what makes it easier for them to target first years thus making them victims of ‘seal clubbing’. Seniors see you, and think to themselves, “I see potential in that one”, and then want to take your innocence away from you because you are seen as “fresh meat”. But this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the challenges one faces during their first year in university.
Being in first year causes stress and strain because of the entire academic decisions one is expected to make, and the stress of actually making the right decision without wasting your own time, your parent’s money or event the bursary funds money, particularly when a student doesn’t come from a wealthy family. So you want to make sure that you have made the right choice. When you have made your choice, the second challenge of coping with the workload follows.
Coping with workload is one of the main influential factors to that leads to personality breakdowns along other breakdowns such as stress, home sickness, sever stress and depression. But it isn’t academic choices that cause first year students to become victims but also an addiction of other factors. This also includes the emotion involved in being far away from home and how to deal with it.
Students have a lot of power in their hands when they leave home. They are now in control of what they do with their time without guidance. Rhodes University exhibits high level of alcohol and drug consumption with the students during their first year, as a sign of “freedom”. And with clubs, town and bottle stores being only a walk away, the access of such substances is made easier and attainable. Being drunk makes it somehow “easier” for them to deal with stress but being drunk makes it harder for one to regain control of what there are doing and usually makes people act out of their character. This increases them being at risk of being victims of ‘seal clubbers’.
But substance abuse is not only brought in by ones “freedom” but also by issues such as home sickness. Home sickness is that intense feeling, that one feels when they are away from home for a very long time or when they are suddenly separated from their guardians. Individuals feel lonely because they are missing all the dear people in their lives and thus need a “quick fix” to take the pain away. This “fix” can come in the form of substance abuse or to find that one person who will give you the attention one may need on that particular day. The longing to have someone notice you and make you feel wanted. Seniors know this kind of a feeling and play on that to get what they want.
The first year spread constantly puts first year students at risk of being used and thus scaring them for life and makes them want to do the same thing to first years to com. The mentioned factors and many others make it easier for first years to fall in trap of being victims of seal clubbing. It also shows that first years should be monitored very closely and support systems should be put in place to help them deal with such issues. Help the “young ones” get through first year without getting their hearts broke.
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Is there a feeling of apathy among first-year Rhodes University students regarding HIV/Aids testing?
Many first year students at Rhodes University have had a sheltered, protected upbringing, not having been directly exposed to issues like HIV/Aids. They have learnt the text-book version of the virus at school but personally feel removed. “It is something we learnt to death about at school but it remained a disease that affected other people, not me.”
Coming to Rhodes’ University, first year students are constantly bombarded with all kinds of campaigns and awareness weeks, into which many of them dive with great enthusiasm. Rape Awareness Week, Gay Rights awareness campaigns, HIV/Aids awareness week. It is easy to walk around campus with your mouth taped shut, or to wear a red ribbon on your shirt to show your support for those affected. For some, these issues may affect them personally but the majority of students are fighting the plights of unknown individuals. How do their views change when they are asked to bring these issues closer to home? How many respond when asked to potentially place themselves in the positions of those suffering? How many of the HIV/Aids supporters will actually get themselves tested?
Not enough. According to an article featured in the Daily Dispatch, only 1200 Rhodes’ University staff and students participated in a research project headed by the Higher Education HIV/Aids Programme (HEAIDS) this year. Part of this research included a free HIV/Aids test. Of a student body of over 6000, only 1200 people, including staff, cared enough to have themselves tested. Rhodes University is one of four universities in the country to offer free testing, as well as counseling. Why don’t more students take this opportunity?
A first year male friend recently declined an offer of coffee as he had “to do something” that day. After some probing, it turned out that he had made an appointment to get tested for HIV/Aids at the San. Another male friend, a second year student, also made an appointment at the same time. I believed that this was a marvelously brave thing for them to be doing, especially as neither of them were promiscuous in any way, and was surprised that their motive was purely “to know”. I decided that I too wanted to be tested but was somewhat nervous to go myself, so approached my friends.
I told them that I wanted to be tested for HIV/Aids and asked who wanted to go with me. I was greeted with shocked silence. And then the excuses began. “I’m scared of needles”, “I’m not having sex so it doesn’t matter”, “I know I don’t have Aids”. I was appalled, so asked other first year students how they felt about getting tested. All the answers were similar.
I couldn’t believe it. Clearly these first years, who claimed to be HIV/Aids conscious, had no intention of finding out their status –even though the most student-friendly environment had been set up. Testing was free at the San, pre- and post-counseling provided, and the whole process was finished in less than an hour. What was the problem? If they were so sure that they were HIV/Aids free, why wouldn’t they get tested?
I believe that this is a common mentality of not only first years, but students in general. All students love a good fight and love to stand up for a good cause, but none of them believe that the issues they are fighting for could actually happen to them. We all believe that we are invincible and immune to contracting HIV/Aids. We like to make ourselves feel better by standing up for others but we will not put ourselves in their places, in case the outcome is not what we thought it would be.
Here is a challenge to all students – Ignorance will not change anything, and change begins with you. Before you can go out and save the world you need to save yourself. Make it your business to know your HIV/Aids status, it might save a life.
Coming to Rhodes’ University, first year students are constantly bombarded with all kinds of campaigns and awareness weeks, into which many of them dive with great enthusiasm. Rape Awareness Week, Gay Rights awareness campaigns, HIV/Aids awareness week. It is easy to walk around campus with your mouth taped shut, or to wear a red ribbon on your shirt to show your support for those affected. For some, these issues may affect them personally but the majority of students are fighting the plights of unknown individuals. How do their views change when they are asked to bring these issues closer to home? How many respond when asked to potentially place themselves in the positions of those suffering? How many of the HIV/Aids supporters will actually get themselves tested?
Not enough. According to an article featured in the Daily Dispatch, only 1200 Rhodes’ University staff and students participated in a research project headed by the Higher Education HIV/Aids Programme (HEAIDS) this year. Part of this research included a free HIV/Aids test. Of a student body of over 6000, only 1200 people, including staff, cared enough to have themselves tested. Rhodes University is one of four universities in the country to offer free testing, as well as counseling. Why don’t more students take this opportunity?
A first year male friend recently declined an offer of coffee as he had “to do something” that day. After some probing, it turned out that he had made an appointment to get tested for HIV/Aids at the San. Another male friend, a second year student, also made an appointment at the same time. I believed that this was a marvelously brave thing for them to be doing, especially as neither of them were promiscuous in any way, and was surprised that their motive was purely “to know”. I decided that I too wanted to be tested but was somewhat nervous to go myself, so approached my friends.
I told them that I wanted to be tested for HIV/Aids and asked who wanted to go with me. I was greeted with shocked silence. And then the excuses began. “I’m scared of needles”, “I’m not having sex so it doesn’t matter”, “I know I don’t have Aids”. I was appalled, so asked other first year students how they felt about getting tested. All the answers were similar.
I couldn’t believe it. Clearly these first years, who claimed to be HIV/Aids conscious, had no intention of finding out their status –even though the most student-friendly environment had been set up. Testing was free at the San, pre- and post-counseling provided, and the whole process was finished in less than an hour. What was the problem? If they were so sure that they were HIV/Aids free, why wouldn’t they get tested?
I believe that this is a common mentality of not only first years, but students in general. All students love a good fight and love to stand up for a good cause, but none of them believe that the issues they are fighting for could actually happen to them. We all believe that we are invincible and immune to contracting HIV/Aids. We like to make ourselves feel better by standing up for others but we will not put ourselves in their places, in case the outcome is not what we thought it would be.
Here is a challenge to all students – Ignorance will not change anything, and change begins with you. Before you can go out and save the world you need to save yourself. Make it your business to know your HIV/Aids status, it might save a life.
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