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Neelsie businesses support student card credit JEANINE MALAN
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tudents living in residences could be one step closer towards using their student cards to purchase food in the Neelsie thanks to business owners. Neelsie staff are working with students to enable all to use their student cards for food, not just those students who don’t live in residences. “All students that do not have dining halls where they live can buy food in the Neelsie using their Call Order Bar (COB) quota on their student cards,” said Sean Davidse, administrative officer of the Student Fees division. This includes PSO and senior residence students, but excludes undergraduate residence students, leaving many unhappy with the current arrangement.
Neelsie staff agreed that it should be possible for everyone to use their student cards to purchase food in the Neelsie. “We think that the students are entitled to make their own decisions regarding where they want to eat,” said Petro Visser, manager of Feathers Café. During the protest action on campus last year, protesters prevented the residences’ kitchen staff from going to work. As many students could not eat at their residences, Stellenbosch University (SU) opened the COB system in the Neelsie to all. This year the system, run by Eazipay Management Systems, was once again open during orientation week, as well as during the first week of class. The following week it was closed to residence students.
At the end of last year, Neelsie business owners conducted a survey with the aim of finding out how students feel about the current COB system and whether an attempt to open the facility to all students permanently would be worth it. The survey indicated that 95% of the students who participated in the survey would like to be able to buy food at the Neelsie with their student cards. Plan of action Neelsie business owners held a meeting on Friday in order to get the ball rolling. They also submitted a meeting request to the centre’s manager, Renée Tutu. “We want to present our recommendation to her so that she can see our point of view and take the process further for us,” said Gert
Visser, business owner of Vlambojant and Feathers Café. Visser admitted that the residences’ food suppliers will have competition if their plan succeeds. However, the competition will force the suppliers to lift their standards to become competitive with the Neelsie, “ensuring a balance”. SU won’t be the first to do this, both the University of the Free State and North-West University allow students to use their student cards to purchase food across campus, at any residence and in the student centres. “We just feel it’s unfair, because other universities have this facility. Why don’t they make it available [to all students] in the Neelsie?” said Visser. Students are able to load COB quota onto their student cards via their student account online.
COB criticism − The residences’ food is not up to standard and therefore residents prefer to eat at the Neelsie. − Booking meals two days in advance is inconvenient, as it is impractical when plans change. − Residents lose money if they miss a meal they booked. − When studying in the Neelsie, walking to residences for dinner and then returning to the centre takes too long.
Eerstejaars nie meer eerstejaars WIANDA GILLILAND
Photo: FACEBOOK
CRIME SCENE The area in front of De Lapa where the assualt took place.
Student deaf after assault A student was left deaf after a fight with a fellow student in front of De Lapa last year. The incident took place on 11 November 2016, when the victim and his friends were leaving the bar after a night out. Another student came up to the victim and asked him why he was looking at his girlfriend. A dispute was started, where the victim was hit with a fist and fell to the ground. He was then kicked on his head and woke up in hospital with serious head wounds. A specialist confirmed last week that the student was deaf in one ear
and won’t recover. The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, laid a complaint of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The accused is a former first team rugby captain of Paarl Gimnasium. The victim ended his studies at Stellenbosch after the attack. De Lapa responded by saying that the attack did not happen on their premises but that their bouncers still helped the victim. They also kept the victim still when waiting for the ambulance to arrive. De Lapa has since installed security cameras outside to ensure fights don’t happen in the future.
Om ’n eerstejaar ’n ‘eerstejaar’ te noem, is glo deesdae taboe op kampus. Dié woord is saam met terme soos jool, jarre en skakels met meer inklusiewe en neutrale terme vervang. Die “neutrale term“ wat vir eerstejaars gekies is, is ‘nuwelinge’. Die 2DO-program is vanjaar deur die Frederick Van Zyl Slabbertinstituut aangebied om veranderinge aan die verwelkomingsprogram te verduidelik. Daar is gepoog om terme soos onder meer ‘jool’ en ‘skakels’ en te elimineer en met ‘MAD²’ en ‘socials’ te vervang. Volgens ’n mentor van Simonsberg, Micheal Knoetze, is die rede agter dié veranderinge grootliks inklusiwiteit en om nuwe Maties meer gemaklik te laat voel sodat hulle vinnig kan aanpas. Olivia Bernstein, voorsitter van Minerva se tweedejaarskomittee, meen tradisie is belangrik omdat dit Maties laat deel voel van iets, maar as daardie tradisie iemand aanstoot gee doen die tradisie eintlik die teenoorgestelde. Daniël du Plessis, Dagbreek se prim, sê baie het verander vandat hy in 2014 ’n eerstejaar was. “Nuwelinge word nou slegs in Engels toegespreek om te verseker dat almal alles verstaan.
Wat sê studente? Ek het geen negatiewe konnotasie met die ou terme nie. Ek verstaan nie hoekom mens nie na ’n eerstejaar kan verwys as ’n eerstejaar nie. Ek is ’n tweedejaar, ander ouer studente is derdejaars of vierdejaars, dis dieselfde? – Lene van Wyk, tweedejaar Ek sal aanhou die ou terme gebruik. Dit voel asof die universiteit al die goeie tradisies ook probeer wegvat. – Juliana van der Merwe, tweedejaar Ek sal probeer om die nuwe terme te gebruik, maar ek verstaan nie hoekom ons nie die ou terme mag gebruik nie. – CJ Upton, tweedejaar Ek dink ons moet hou by die ou terme, want dis tradisie. My ma was ook op Stellenbosch, en hulle het jool gehad. Ek is ’n eerstejaar, hoekom mag mense nie so na my verwys nie? – Jute Saayman, eerstejaar The university is not discussing why they are trying to redefine these terms. First year is not a derogatory term at all, it is just an indication of the year you are in, like grade eight or grade nine. With skakels changing to social, I do understand that there are negative connotations with the old term. These changes and the reasons for them just hasn’t been discussed and communicated properly. - Jean-Luc Tostee, third year As an English girl from Joburg I never understood the negative connotations associated with the term “jool”. Most people I know still refer to it as jool and I feel like it is an unnecessary change that doesn’t solve the problems that comes with the period. I don’t think calling first years, newcomers make them feel more welcome. – Sian Noble, fourth year I don’t see anything wrong in calling jool, jool and first years, first years. It’s what I’m used to, and I’ll keep on using these terms. – Maureen Njuguma, second year I think it is a good initiative from the university’s side to make welcoming more inclusive so that everybody understands all the terms. I will try to switch to these new terms. – Tiisetso Maketekete, third year “Sosiale geleenthede (skakels) het ook meer divers geraak,” het hy gesê. Hy het bygevoeg geleenthede soos Vensters moet bly omdat eerstejaars dit baie geniet, maar dat dit in die toekoms meer finansieël volhoubaar
moet wees. Cindi Pretorius, ’n verwelkomingsleier van Minerva, het gesê alle verwelkomingsprogramme se doel is om nuwelinge gemaklik te laat inskakel.
Maties students and staff risk their lives to fight fires
ARLEEN STONE
Maties students and staff are doing Stellenbosch University (SU) proud with their selfless dedication to putting out blazes in the Cape Winelands District. Jen Fill, Christopher Hay, Thomas Lennon, Oliver Freyer, sisters Deidré, Liesel and Maryna Odendaal, and Adam Venter all joined the Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) to help keep Stellenbosch residents safe. VWS is a trained, dedicated and passionate non-profit group, consisting only of volunteers. Combined these members have over 56 000 hours of fire fighting since their launch in 1999/2000 in Cape Town. Today they boast 220 volunteers over four stations (Newlands, Jonkershoek, South Peninsula and the newly developing Grabouw Station). They also provide training and other services, such as wildfire suppression, education and awareness
programmes, and the monitoring and active suppression of fires during prescribed ecological burns. Since VWS opened its base in Jonkershoek in 2009, several students and staff members of SU have joined. “Some have moved on, as students do, and new ones have taken their place. “Currently about 20% of VWS Jonkershoek members are associated with SU. “Of the 23 new members who joined in 2016, nine are Maties students and two are SU staff members,” said Pia Nänny, marketing liason for the Jonkershoek station. Hayley Hagen, founder of the VWS Jonkershoek base, added that students have proven to be a great asset to VWS. “Bringing their enthusiasm and energy, they add tremendous value as their schedules often allow them to respond to call-outs when others, bound by office jobs, can’t.” Die Matie spoke to a few firefighters.
Jen Fill - American post-doctoral fellow, a member for two years: “What has impressed me most about VWS is the dedication, selfless commitment and unconditional friendship of the team. “Over the course of training, and especially on the fire line, I’ve realised that the irresistible call to participate is really because of the profound friendships and camaraderie that accompany a mentally and physically demanding experience.” Christopher Hay - BCom investment management student, qualified as a crew leader last year: “Joining VWS was the best decision of my life. I enjoy nature and I wanted to give something back to the community. I love the humour, banter and camaraderie between members.” Thomas Lennon - Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management, new recruit: “It was very exciting! You push yourself past what you thought you were capable of. Everyone was very
Photo: ANDREW HAGEN
IN GRABOUW Two VWS crew members survey the scene. supportive. You’re with great people, doing something rewarding.” Oliver Freyer - Biodiversity and ecology student: “VWS is a bunch of really cool people, and the selfless commitment to help is phenomenal. Fighting fire is tricky and tough, but comes with a very rewarding feeling. The support from farmers and the public is a highlight too. I’m sorry I didn’t join sooner.” Deidré, Liesel and Maryna
Odendaal joined VWS in 2016 to challenge themselves and to make a difference. Deidré is a PhD student, while Liesel and Maryna are Masters students. Adam Venter - mechanical engineering student, is still chasing his childhood dream of being a fireman and a hero: “I’ve always wanted to jump in and help when there were big fires, and it was finally time to get involved.”