PALLAS ATHENA EDITION 1 | 2018
ELIZZA FREY
KAYLIN JANSEN
MARGUERITE KOTZE
JEANNE' RABIE
ANJA BESTER
CHELSEA JEAREY
AIMEE MCSHANE
MARIKE BESTER
ELOUISE VAN WYK
PALLAS 2018 M E E T T H E N E W E D I T O R I A L T E A M
HELLO FROM THE
EDITOR "Time flies when you're having fun." ELOUISE VAN WYK
As incredibly cheesy as this well known quote may be, I cannot think of a better way to describe my first term at university.
When asked to reflect back on the past few months, I find myself at a loss for words because I simply cannot find the right way in which to describe everything that has happened in what feels like a blink of an eye. What I will however try to put into words is the following: Whether it was shouting "Mineeerva" at the top of my lungs, dancing to "Simply The Best", taking too many trips to EnRoute, late night study sessions, coffee on the balcony with new friends, chats while doing door duty or that mutual feeling of relief when speaking to someone who also hasn't started with their project yet. I am so happy I got to share in all the chaos, laughter, tiredness and excitement along with all my new fellow Minervianers. May the term that lies ahead be a huge success and even though, at times, it may feel like time is flying by, may you make the best of every moment. Thank you for reading the first Pallas of 2018. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as the editorial team and I enjoyed writing, editing and compiling it.
CONTENTS First Term Recap || Minerva Newcomers || A Life in Pictures Woman Empowerment || Photo Page || Creative Corner Cartoon || Minimalist Wardrobe || Water Saving Tips
BY: CHELSEA JEAREY
FIRST TERM RECAP
A few stats and figures to summarise the highlights of the Minerva calendar so far…
S U M M E R D A N C E of fairy lights were used to set the mood for a magical evening
4.7
91m
the average number of times that someone slipped by the bubble machine
94%
1 out of 9 Minervianers still had their shoes on by the end of night
of dates were abandoned when Simply the Best started playing
chance that your wineglass was stolen
62%
M I N E R V A W E E K the average number of tutorials viewed while attempting to tie the perfect toga
100%
3
chance that Minervianers rocked our togas like the goddesses we are
1 out of 5 of us thought that we tore something during toga yoga
1 in 3 chance
195 cupcakes (and way more that your McFlurry order went to glasses of champagne) were somebody else consumed at Housewarming
4
the amount of times Minerva was mentioned on Stellies Rage (and each of these posts just screamed jealousy)
50%
chance that you lost your voice chanting:
“Mineeerva!”
ALL CALL, ALL CALL! CAN ALL
MINERVA NEWCOMERS LISTEN UP? BY: AIMEE MCSHANE
Being a newcomer to anything is tough. For a lot of Newcomers, you came from a cosy life at home where mom is a shout away, your friends are the same faces you’ve seen for at least the past five years of high school and the washing seems to do itself. Now, you’re in university. But not just any university, you’re in Stellenbosch University. And you’re in residence. But not just any residence, you’re in Minerva, which is (in my very biased opinion) the best residence to be in. Most of you Newcomers think that by now, you’re all good with life in Minerva and you’re strong, independent women who don’t need anything from anyone? I’m willing to bet a DCM muffin that there are still a thousand things you don’t know. So, Newcomers, let the seniors show you the light. Here is the advice that I managed to squeeze out of just a few of the wise seniors in Minerva:
ESTHER:
1. Have COB, even if it’s just R100, for the days when you thought you booked but didn’t.
2. 2-minute noodles because time. 3. Fruits, during test week, when you want something to snack on but you know that you shouldn’t eat something that will make you kind of tired-ish or hyperactive and that’s a good middle ground. And water! 4. Room points are a thing! 5. EVERYONE SHOULD JOIN THE SOCIAL IMPACT COMMITTEE!
ANRI:
“I think you should get a trip-switch because it is a very old res(idence) and the electrical wiring is very old. You tend to plug in a heater and a toaster and a kettle and a frying pan and then if you connect everything your whole section's electricity trips. Your trip switch has a red light that if the amps in your electrical circuit exceed what it should, then only your trip switch
switches off and then you just plug out everything”
NINA & LEXI:
Lexie: “DON’T LET THE SHOWER CURTAIN TOUCH YOUR LEG BECAUSE IT IS DEATH BY ICE AGE!” Nina: (In reference to soap containers) “Remember to PERIODICALLY drain the soap and clean the bucket and leave it open so it can dry so then you have solid soap!” (Instead of mushy, wet soap) Lexie: “I also figured out today that you’re meant to put the ridges (in the container) down so the soap stays above the water if there is water in it!” Lexie: “Life tip: if your mother is calling, don’t answer (if you don’t have time) because it will be hours!” Nina: “Schedule Mom-Calling times in your week” Lexie: “Dettol wipes in res! These things have saved my life! Nina: “Removes make-up, removes coffee spills, cleans your face and shoes after a night out!
MASEGO & KRISTEN:
Kristen: “Shower the night before if you have an 8am the next morning (more sleep=happier you)” “”One more episode’ on weekends is not worth it!” “(Specifically BA kids) Always create light-weight work in your bag, like prescribed readings and lecture notes so that you can read between classes.” “Back up your work on EVERYTHING! Get a hard drive, flash drive, put it all on there.” Mosego: “Inet key is cheaper between midnight and six so binge watch your series then!”
DEBORAH & BUHLE: Buhle: “Prioritise time for yourself to relax and go to socialise. Balance! Not too much of one thing. You can’t be working, working all the time. You need to work but you also need to play as well. But you also shouldn’t play too much. Work smart and get things done properly! Deborah: “Be mentally woke in a sense that you realise that your mind is very powerful and your mind can go where you want it to go. University, anything, is hard. Guarding the mind in the sense that you know exactly what is coming in and knowing when to let go and knowing when to refresh and restart the cycle. Seeing the perspective in all that you do takes the weight off your shoulders a lot.”
MELISSA & LENE:
Melissa: “If you live in Theta or Eta or Iota and you use the small little bathrooms up there, have your own toilet paper for weekends” “Always book double standard chciken schnitzel so you can use it in your lunch for the rest of the week” Lene: “Always have popcorn, peanut butter and rice cakes!”
“Go for coffee breaks at DCM or chalkboard (chalkboard is better because it has COB)
PRIYANKA:
“People get caught up in thinking of university life in a certain way, like it’s either end of the spectrum. You have to completely focus on your academics and you can’t have a balanced approach or you go completely
party life. But university is a microcosm, a metaphor, for the rest of your life, it’s finding that good balance between the two. So have your fun, it’s so important to do other things than what pertains to your degree but also focus on your academics. If you find that middle point now, it’ll help you so much later on in life because this is a small smidgen of what the rest of your life will look like.” “Also difference between bed bugs and spider bites: spider bites, you have a two pronged thing that’s just painful and some with mosquito bites, they’re going to be bumpy. Bed bug (bites) are going to be little red dots concentrated in a patch and it itches (a lot)”
MARGUERITE: “Start recording your lectures! I only learnt this in third year but it helps so much”
DEEVYA & TARAH:
Deevya: “Don’t forget your flip flops for the shower!” “Always keep an extra tub or lunch box for leftover food from downstairs” “Have a door sign for the door so if you’re busy and can’t be disturbed, you can indicate it to others” Tarah : “Make sure you have more than 2 mugs because people come in for tea the whole time and you have to keep washing mugs! And have cookies!
And milo and different types of tea!” “You learn as you go along!”
A life in pictures V I M B A I M U D Z O N G O Look a little deeper into the lives of the Minervianers who live around you. To see more about Vimbai, check out her YouTube channel: Vimbow
BY: ELIZZA FREY
The one thing you love to do to relax? <
Favorite outfit to wear at a fancy event >
Go to pose on Instagram
Most beautiful view, in or around stellenbosch
What will you miss most when you leave Stellies? ^
What you can’t live without ^ at university
"TIME'S UP" - OPRAH
BY: KAYLIN JANSEN
“FOR TOO LONG, WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD OR BELIEVED IF THEY DARE SPEAK THE TRUTH TO THE POWER OF THOSE MEN. BUT THEIR TIME IS UP. THEIR TIME IS UP.” For those of you who stayed up to watch the Golden Globes of this year, these words would be familiar to you as they formed part of Oprah’s iconic acceptance speech. Oprah Winfrey was honoured at the awards evening when she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award. This award is bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment" and they select the winner from a variety of industry professionals who have made a significant mark in the film industry. Previous winners of this award include Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn and Lucille Ball (to name a few).
Oprah’s acceptance speech was aimed at bringing awareness to the movement that she is a part of, namely; Time’s Up. At the Golden Globes this year the movement called for all women to wear black at the awards evening and speak up about assault and sexual harassment. Time's Up was founded on the 1st of January 2018, by Hollywood celebrities in response to the Weinstein effect and #MeToo. As of February 2018, it has raised $20 million for its legal defence fund, and has gathered over 200 volunteer lawyers, to help in the fight against sexual harassment in all industries, workplaces and homes worldwide.
#MeToo was already started in 2006 and aimed to promote “empowerment through empathy”. But it wasn’t until 2017 that it became a campaign to help reveal the extent of sexual harassment and assault by showing how many people have experienced these events themselves. Oprah herself shares some of her own personal experiences in her speech and it’s no doubt that this movement is one that is close to her heart. She ends her speech with some empowering words to all the girls, women and men out there to take a stand against what is wrong so that a new day can dawn, in which nobody ever has to say “Me too” again.
Minerva has a Womxn Empowerment Blog! If you want to read more about some pretty fantastic movements as well as inspirational womxn, be sure to check out their blog ‘X’ at womxnempowermentminerv a.wordpress.com
“So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say "Me too" again.”
Creative Corner Winners of the Pallas short-story and poetry competition.
With love, your heart BY: MARYNA VAN WYK
To me, you owe a world a world that doesn't have to beat as hard as I do one I can go to, after escaping from this cage But still. I keep hammering against your innermost self. I keep telling you what it is you need to know. Telling you stories of a better life. I've known the answers to questions you are too afraid to ask hear me telling you I've seen the after before now I speak of wonders and of pathways unscathed I know of songs and of legends no ship on has ever embarked I say you know what could've been; had you only fought as keen So I slam myself against the cage of your existence. Expand as far as I can; let you feel every drop speeding through the tunnels of life But how hard I scream matters not. Not to you. You are holding me, you say But. Holding is not what i need; I need to be heard To be felt; to be followed… You will know what you ought to when i say no more; You will know that something's missing It was I, always overlooked but ever present It was me I, yourself Your heart Beating; beat; be…
Winners of the Pallas short-story and poetry competition.
Moonlight BY: ABIGAIL KING Swirls of darkness like oil, thick and dark. Spilt ink washed over my vision. It was cold. The air was an icy embrace. My breath escaped in puffs like dragon fire. The noise was deafening against the stark quiet. Noiseless streets stretching like cold dead fingers, for miles. Empty road, seemingly endless. Every few moments I would watch as my feet carried me that much farther through the abandoned, desolate town. I was to make certain that the soft, dull patter of footsteps were indeed my own. To be sure that I was indeed alone. I became lost in my motions. It took only a second for my steps to become to falter. It was there, in my state of heightened awareness, that I smelt the stench. A foul odour; thick and ghastly, it penetrated my senses. Thoughts of creatures; vile and grotesque, violated my mind. Against my better judgement, I stopped, the blinding light from the harvest moon was shadowed by dark, malevolent clouds. Faint starlight was all that could guide me. Guide me away from the stench. Guide me away from the vile creatures of the night. Away from the approaching footsteps. I strained my ears, focusing on the sound of rapid movement. Those were definitely footsteps. Many footsteps. It was as if a hoard of creatures were gaining on my position. A monstrous stampede. I looked over my shoulder, peering into the darkness. The void loomed with sinister shadows, but I could see no approaching danger. The ground then began to shake, rumbling as if angered, roaring as if enraged. Turning on my heels, I began to race further up the path. Puffs of white streaming from my mouth. Panting and gasping for air as I attempted my allusion of the unseen danger. It felt as though with every forward leap, it was nearer. Soon it was as if invisible hands, claws, talons, were reaching out to grab me. Hot, putrid breath on my neck. Rancid smells of rot and decay. Heart pounding against my ribs, feet pounding rhythmically against the cold, lifeless ground. It was mere moments before my legs would give in, the unending road drawing out the chase, when the moonlight once again lit my path. An open door, rickety and old, but sturdy enough to keep the demons at bay. I made a break for it, using up all that was left of my energy stores. Once the iron door was sufficiently sealed I took a shaky breath, releasing it slowly. My legs were numb, practically screaming in agony, as they wobbled like jelly. Descending to the dusty floor, a stray tear fell steadily down my cheek. Soon my face was wet with tears. Silent wails and trembling shoulders. Howling and shrieking reverberated against the wall. Terrifying visions scratched and scraped violently against the exterior. They sounded angry, furious, as if they'd been cheated. Cheated of something rightfully theirs. Cheated of my soul. Depraved beasts of living smoke, battering against the stained glass of the window. Faded roses and lilies heaving under the pressure. I sat with bated breath, praying the glass would not break, would not shatter, would not crack. Unearthly voices screaming in protest, in anguish, as I sat on the grime-filled floor, mere meters away.
Faces, irate and outraged, pressed up against the glass. Gaping holes for eyes and mouths stretched to impossible lengths. Malice. Fury. They frightened me. My very should trembled at the thought of their bony touch their icy embrace. A loud crack sliced through the dead silence. My eyes widened in terror. My legs groaned in agony as I tenderly hoisted myself to my feet. More cracking. The wall began to buckle against the weight of the eager demons. A sliver of moonlight broke through the black mass. It illuminated a door that lay well within my reach. I was at the threshold within seconds before the mold ridden wall crashed to the floor. Tar like liquid spilt from the maws of the horrid creatures. It washed over the floor like an oil spill. It was accompanied by the odour of rotten eggs and swill. A chorus of delighted squeals and roars like laughter rose through their massive form. A fear inducing cacophony of noise. I wasted not a moment more and thus I sealed the next barrier. This time I would not lie in wait as the darkness encroached. I bolted forward into lightless room after lightless room, all the while suspecting, sensing my descent, It was only when I nearly toppled over that I noticed the increasing severity of the incline I had happened upon. However, I could not stop. Whether by momentum or dark forces, my feet moved as if possessed. Further and further. Deeper into the gloom. The voices, the noises grew faint. The unrelenting darkness that surrounded me became thick and heavy. Cold wind replaced with air, hot and humid. My breath felt damp as if external moisture clung to my lungs. My clothes were drenched in sweat, it made it uncomfortable to move, to breathe. Faint sounds; rhythmic thumping, soft and deep growls, began to seep from the walls, from the ceiling, from the floor. They coursed through my body, slithering into my ears like snakes. Poisonous. The sounds grew louder, the air grew feverish, and the darkness more solid.Â
Cartoons CHOSEN BY: MARGUERITE KOTZE'
HOW TO:
MINIMALIST CLOSET BY: JEANNE' RABIE
Can you believe it? Winter is upon us! Although it’s difficult to pack away those shorts, tank tops and flip flops, it’s finally time dust off your favourite pair of boots and sweater. Before going on a shopping spree and buying a pile of clothes you’re probably only going to wear once, first have a look at what you currently have in your closet. We all know that many times we have a lot of clothes, but we “don’t have anything to wear.” To avoid spending countless minutes in front of your closet trying to decide what to wear and ending up wearing the same outfit over and over again, sort out your closet! This winter, LESS IS MORE. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to achieve a minimalistic closet that will result in having less clothes in your cupboard, but more outfits!
1.
LET'S START
Set up a playlist. This may feel like an endless task, but with happy and uplifting tunes you will achieve your goal in no time. Now, empty your closet.
YES YOUR WHOLE CLOSET
4.
SHOPPING
2.
FOUR PILES
Keep: I love these items. I feel comfortable wearing them and I wear them regularly.
Maybe: I want to keep this item, but I can’t even remember the day I wore it last. (remember: less is more!) Donate: I haven’t worn these items for a year and/or they don’t fit me anymore. Trash: These items are in poor condition and not wearable or donatable.
This will result in a wardrobe with which you can assemble more outfits with less items.
TRY ON
Try on the “maybe” pile again and ask yourself the following questions:
+ If I was shopping right now, would I buy this? + Does this still accurately represent my style? + Do I feel confident while wearing this? If the answer is “NO” to any of these questions, add it to the donate pile!
Example of essentials for a minimalistic closet that will have you sorted for this winter.
While shopping, remember: quality over quantity.
Try to only invest in well-made basics and look for quality fabrics that would last. Always ask yourself how many ways or to how many different occasions you can wear a piece before purchasing it. Keep a consistent palette of neutrals with a few accent colors.
3.
This is only an example of one person’s style. You should choose the styles and colors that you love and suits you!
NO WATER NO LIFE
BY: MARIKE BESTER
A human being can live for a month without food, but only a week without water. So what is a man or a woman without water?
There is no such thing as life without water, it is very important that we take the water shortage in our region very seriously. Water saving is one of the largest conversation topics in South Africa. There are three best-known questions on campus: What are you studying? Where do you come from? Do you save water? Here are some water saving tips you have not heard before: • Certain clothes like jeans and long trousers you have already worn can be put in a Ziploc bag in the freezer overnight - it will freeze away all smells. • Line pots and pans with double tinfoil - which greatly reduces dishwashing water. • Do you shower too long? Turn off the geyser, it does not only save power, but will shorten your showertime! • Use wet wipes • Let dry shampoo become your best friend, it not only saves you water but gives you a stylish look. • When you have a dirty car people will admire you for saving water. • Shower with your clothes on – then you do not have to do laundry. • Drop the takeaway coffee, a shocking 200 litres of water are used to make a single takeaway latte and its container. Minerva already saves water in a variety of ways, such as washing laundry together, re-use shower water for flushing toilets and rather using hand sanitizer. If every Minervian takes part, Minerva will help save a lot of the Western Cape’s fresh water.
Some South African women and children walk long distances every day to get fresh water for their households. At the moment we only have to walk to Minerva’s dining hall for clean and safe drinking water, but if we do not contribute to the saving of water, the above will be our prospect.
A household can reduce between 30% and 60% of water usage by making use of saved up water. It must also be Minerva's goal, and with our unique, diverse and resourceful family we have can make it work! So remember SAVE WATER, Mariksa keeps track of you!
" For being a Matie, is just not enough"