Die Matie - May 2023

Stellenbosch honours student discovers new mushroom species endemic to SA

Breyten van der Merwe is a Stellenbosch student doing BSc Hons (Microbiology), who by chance discovered a new species of mushroom, now named Hericium ophelieae.

“I was walking with my family in a forest in Knysna, and thought that it was strange for this mushroom to be growing on an indigenous tree,” said van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe says that African mushrooms are “understudied and mostly undescribed”, and that there is a “big gap for research”. This is due to the complexity of fungal studies, and lack of funding in this field of research.

Studying mushrooms is “an important part of science because they are potential biofactories for novel compounds” says Van der Merwe, adding that “the medicinal genus Hericium that is well studied has shown

promise in cancer-treating properties, as well as for neuropsychological damage”.

This was a chance discovery, and due to the lack of funding and interest in fungal research in South Africa, the species could have been lost entirely if Van der Merwe had not crossed paths with it. This species grows only on specific indigenous trees, which are threatened with deforestation.

“As host trees decrease, so do the mushrooms, and so we lose the possibility to procure a host of medicines that could help many people,” said van der Merwe.

As ophelieae is the first endemic Hericium species to be described from Southern Africa, and the second to be described from Africa, the discovery is worth celebration. Van der Merwe hopes to describe four more species this year, as well as continue to research the medicinal properties of Hericium

A seat at the table: SU to revise disability accessibility policy

The Disability Unit (DU), in conjunction with the Stellenbosch University (SU), will be revising the disability accessibility policy this year. As an effort to make the voices of the students affected most heard, the Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ) recently ran a public participation initiative, in which the policy was discussed and recommendations were made for the DU to consider. The need for such an initiative raises questions about the need to review the policy in the first place, as well as the general experiences of disabled students around campus, that many feel need to be addressed.

The SLSJ team, made up of both disabled and non-disabled students, discussed and provided commentary on various aspects of the current policy. While it has been emphasised that the team is not able to implement any changes within the policy, they have been

working to provide the DU with the context of students on campus.

The recommendations and concerns of participants will be compiled and given to the DU and university governance to consider during the review process.

As stated on page 8, section 5.1 of the current policy, “[The] policy defines important concepts regarded as essential to developing SU as a universally accessible institution of higher education for people with disabilities.” The university actively advertises and promotes itself as an inclusive institution, but the experiences of disabled students on campus indicate that this may not always be the case. Two members of the team, first-year students, Cristen Koegelenberg and Aleeza Steyn, had no qualms towards sharing their personal experiences as wheelchair users at SU so far.

It appears that one of the biggest problems at the moment is accessibility regarding mobility and the maintenance of current

facilities. An incident occurred recently in the Neelsie Student Centre when Koegelenberg got stuck while using the centre’s chair lift to attend a meeting on the top floor. When she had tried to use it to attend a meeting the day before, no one with her was able to find the remote to operate the chair. The next day the remote had been found, but Koegelenberg stated that the security officers in charge of assisting her were unsure how to use it. The chair worked going up, but when she attempted to come down, the chair stopped mid-descent. She ultimately had to be carried down the stairs. After that the wheelchair accessible lift stopped working, and again, she had to be carried down the stairs, an experience that she described as embarrassing. Steyn too had experiencs to share regarding lectures being impacted, due inaccessibility to simply get into the classroom. “I couldn’t attend my tut because I couldn’t fit into the classroom,”

stated Steyn as she recounted not being able to fit her wheelchair through the door of the room that was too close to the benches screwed into the floor. This is one of several incidents, some of the others including ramps that are too steep to use, out of service lifts in faculty buildings and desks not being made available for disabled students in some lecture halls.

Steyn mentioned that all disabled students have to specify that they are disabled when applying to SU, but the university then not accommodating those needs in the classroom does not make sense. She stated, “you would think because you are already labelled as someone with a disability, as a student, they wouldn’t place you in classrooms you don’t fit into or put you in exam rooms you don’t fit into”. This brings into question the design of facilities that are considered accessible around campus. If a ramp leads up to a classroom, but the student does not

have a desk to sit at once they are in the classroom and if the student cannot even fit through the door, then is that building accessible? This is seen in one of the main lecture halls in the Arts and Social Sciences building, lecture hall 230.

Both Koegelenberg and Steyn have recounted finding able bodied people sitting in the disabled seating area, because the space is not clearly indicated as such.

Both have constantly had to ask the people sitting there to move, Steyn described it as “[feeling] like you have to fight for your place to be there”. Once students get their place to sit at, the problem is not over. Koegelenberg described the difficulty in engaging with the lecture due to a flaw in design; there are railings right in front of the desks that obscure most of the lecture in front.

According to the treasurer of the SLSJ, the university will be asking for further public comment in upcoming weeks. Read the full article on our website.

SKYLA THORNTON

ophelieae.

Hericium ophelieae, so named after Arthur Rimbaud’s poem, Ophelia. A line from the poem describes Ophelia as “a white phantom”.

Photo: Justin Williams (supplied).

Jane

JADE WAINWRIGHT

EN DIE BEWIND VAN KUNSMATIGE INTELLEGENSIE

2023 het ’n era van ongeëwenaarde ontwikkeling in die veld van kunsmatige intelligensie (KI), oftewel artificial intelligence (AI), ingelui. Die virtuele vloed van verwikkelinge rakende ChatGPT, die KIkletsprogram op almal se lippe, kan verstaanbaar oorweldigend begin voel vanaf die leek se perspektief. Die gemiddelde US-student ontvang wat voel soos daaglikse opdaterings oor hierdie nuwe toebehoor vanaf dosente, medestudente, en sosiale media. Die betroubaarheid van al hierdie inligting voel egter dikwels twyfelagtig, ten minste gedeelteliks op grond van die akademiese paniek wat klaarblyklik die KIgesprek volg waar ook al dit gaan. Hoe lyk die toekoms vir universiteitsgrade waar die skryf van opstelle en intellektuele eiendom van belang is? Kan die plagiaat

’n opstel gebruik word en is daardie verslae betroubaar?

Soos sake tans staan, wil dit blyk dat die antwoord op die laasgenoemde vraag ʼn tentatiewe “nee” is. Havana Dauncey, ’n derdejaar-BAtaal-en-kultuur-student, vertel hoe ’n onlangse opstel wat sy vir Filosofie 314 ingedien het, haarself en haar klasmaats onkant gevang het. Die ironiese reeks gebeurtenisse het begin met ’n opdrag waarin studente vorbeeldopstelle wat hul dosent deur ChatGPT gegenereer het, moes analiseer en kritiseer. Die doel van hierdie opdrag was juis om die tekortkominge van die KI se skryfvaardighede te beklemtoon, maar die uiteindelike gevolg was nie so eenvoudig nie.

“Die oggend wat ons, ons punte teruggekry het, het ons klas gehad

Dauncey was uiters ontsteld toe sy haar Turnitin verslag oopgemaak het om te sien dat sy ’n KI-plagiaatsyfer van 60% toegeken is. “Ongelukkig het die KI-kontroleerder gesê dat dit nie my eie werk is nie, en 30% is dus van my oorspronklike opstelpunt afgetrek. Ek was geskok, want ek het nog nooit KI gebruik nie. Dit is iets wat ek nooit sou doen nie; ek neem my akademie baie ernstig op.” Dauncey was nie die enigste student in die klas wat volgehou het dat die beskuldigings uitdruklik onwaar is nie. Hulle het dus die Filosofie 314 dosent en tutors gekontak, maar is met ’n mate van onsekerheid ontmoet. Diegene wat opstelle moet merk bevind hulself ook in onbetrede terrein sonder ’n

dat studente ChatGPT nie slegs as ’n hulpmiddel gebruik nie, maar eerder dit as n “get-out-of-jailfree” kaartjie gebruik om opstelle in te dien sonder om regtig die werk hoef te doen of te verstaan. Mamoepa voorspel dat hoewel daar tans probleme met Turnitin se kontroleringsvaardighede is, sal die program mettertyd leer en verbeter. Nóg dosente, nóg studente beskik oor ’n verwysingsraamwerk wat kan

soos die tegnologie verder ontwikkel.

Dauncey en haar medestudente het eindelik wel die punte wat afgetrek is, teruggekry as gevolg van die onsekerheid van die situasie. Hulle is egter nie die enigste studente in Universiteit Stellenbosch (en moontlik wêreldwyd) wat sukkel om sin te maak van

kontroleerder, Turnitin, optel wanneer ChatGPT in

en ons dosent het vir ons gewys dat daar mense was wat KI gebruik het om hierdie opdrag oor KI te skryf. Ek het ook gelag, want wie sou so dom wees?”

betroubare plagiaatkontrolleerder. Bee Mamoepa is tans besig met haar meestersgraad in Politieke Wetenskappe en werk ook as tutor vir die vak. As iemand wat gereeld voorgraadse opstelle moet merk, is sy van die mening

verduidelik hoe om akademies voort te gaan in ’n era waar hierdie transformerende tegnologiese gereedskap aan almal beskikbaar is. Die Fakulteit Lettere en Sosiale Wetenskappe het onlangs ’n stel riglyne vir die gebruik van kunsmatige intelligensiegereedskap in assesserings vrygestel, met die voorwaarde dat die riglyne slegs vir die interim geld en op enige oomblik hersien kan word

hierdie nuwe KI-landskap nie. Is ons besig om die sistematiese verbrokkeling van akademiese vertroue en intellektuele eiendom waar te neem? Hierdie artikel het hoofsaaklik op die akademiese implikasies van ChatGPT en soortgelyke toebehore gefokus, veral in die konteks van ’n tersiêre graad waar individuele skryfwerk gewigtig is. Daar is egter iets te sê oor die toepassing van hierdie tegnologie in ander akademiese fakulteite, asook die nagevolge van oortuigende KI-genereerde nuusartikels en selfs beelde wat misinformasie met skrikwekkende spoed kan versprei. Dit wil blyk dat die sogenoemde KIgesprek nog vêr van verby is.

SLSJ launches booklet to raise awareness of GBV

ANSELA SLOMAN

On 28 March the Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ) held an event to mark the launch of a booklet they put together to raise awareness of genderbased violence (GBV) in South Africa and inform people about the rights of victims of GBV.

“This project is actually something we inherited from the previous SLSJ […] they did the research and put [the booklet] together but never had the chance to fully launch it. […] It was taken over by us, particularly Amy Cotterrell […] who is the research coordinator [of the SLSJ],'' says Christopher Breektze, head of the SLSJ.

The booklet itself contains information about what GBV is, raising awareness about

the different forms of GBV and providing a more nuanced understanding of the concept.

“GBV is more than outward physical harm that is caused by others, and it is definitely not a private matter to be ashamed of,” reads page two of the booklet. “Sometimes, your rights are violated without you even knowing it.”

The booklet goes on to describe the forms of abuse that are included under the Domestic Violence Act, such as physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and sexual abuse, as well as other acts such as property damage, unauthorised entry into the victims residence, stalking and other forms of harassment.

These descriptions are included to provide potential victims with

information about what different kinds of abuse can look like. Breektze says, “The purpose of the booklet is to provide information about what to do in cases of gender-based violence in respect of the law and to inform any person about what gender-based violence is […], particularly in a South African context.”

Information is provided about the legal remedies available to victims of GBV, including how to get a protection order at a Magistrates Court, as well as organisations which can assist victims if they do not want to go to the police. Emergency contact numbers are also provided for victims to reach out to, such as Childline, the GBV Command Centre and South African Police Crime Stop.

“My predecessors got the information from various sources,” says Amy Cotterrel, who is the research coordinator of the SLSJ and was the organiser of the booklet launch event. “They went to the police station to get information, they consulted someone from the [Stellenbosch] Law Clinic, so the information was drawn from various sources.”

The booklet launch also had Jessica Dewhurst, founder of the youth-led human rights organisation, the Justice Desk Africa, as a guest speaker.

The Justice Desk is a nonprofit organisation which, through various projects, promotes access to human rights through empowering communities to fight injustice.

“Our mission is to empower

everyday people, within all areas of society, to understand, defend and access their fundamental human rights,” the Justice Desk website explains. “We believe that the everyday person understands their community and unique contexts like no other, and therefore are best suited to challenge the injustices that affect them and work towards transforming their communities for the better.”

Dewhurst highlighted the importance of knowing your rights, while also highlighting the fact that just because a country has good rights on paper, does not mean that people have real access to them.

“Just because something is a law does not mean it is the lived reality of people,” said Dewhurst.

Earth Week: SU takes on Sustainability

Earth Week is a celebration of Earth as a home, but also an opportunity to amplify environmental activism and demonstrate support for environmental protection. It usually runs for the week before Earth Day, which is an annual event held on 22 April worldwide. The week is centred around promoting sustainability and raising awareness.

Collaboration: Skyla Thornton, Tiaan Booyens and Misha Fray.

As Stellenbosch University (SU) attempts to reach carbon neutrality, many events were hosted in celebration of Earth Week, from 13 April to 22 April.

Events were hosted and facilitated by Facilities Management, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hub and Student societies of EcoMaties and UNASA Stellenbosch (United Nations Association of South Africa), in collaboration with the School for Climate Studies and the Climate Justice Charter Movement (CJCM).

“The recognition and celebration of Earth week is a wonderful way to bring awareness to the importance of our actions as individuals and to remind ourselves of our vital role in protecting the future of our planet. Hosting events and displays during this week was the perfect opportunity to engage in thoughtful conversations with our fellow students,” said Megan Farquhar, Chairperson of EcoMaties.

“The diverse range of activities that took place during Earth week shows that SU students are uncompromising on their dreams for a just climate future. It also marks their demand to co-create the future of SU, and to not be left on the sidelines by management,” said Dr Matthew Wingfield, climate activist and SU lecturer of Social Anthropology.

Memorably, Professor Guy Midgely, head of the School for Climate Studies, commented on “the echo of bad decisions,” referring to the sound of the generators kicking in with loadshedding. The seminar was well attended by students and staff alike, and had an interactive element as well.

On 19 April, UNASA hosted a clothing swap at CoCreate Hub in collaboration with EcoMaties. The event was buzzing with interest and enthusiasm, with delicious wraps on sale by Indaldo Street Food. “This is my first clothing swap, because Stellenbosch doesn’t have many thrifting options so I really hope to see something like this happen again,” said a participant at the event. A clothing swap is an event where one donates old clothes in good condition, and in exchange for each item of clothing they are credited with a token (at this clothing swap the token was a bean). Each token can then be exchanged for any item that someone else brought to the clothing swap. At the end of it all, the leftover clothes are donated.

Tegan Gibaud, head of Sustainable Development Goals portfolio at UNASA said, “It’s events like these that show you that you can be directly involved in making decisions towards creating a better future”.

Gibaud added, “Education around the fast fashion industry and the solutions of slow fashion is very important if moving towards a sustainable future is the goal. Slow fashion is upcycling, attending clothing swaps and participating in a circular economy.”

EcoMaties held a quiz night at Courtyard Cafe on Thursday evening. The hosts Megan Farquhar and Anaïs Breytenbach kept those who attended eager and curious, as the questions asked ranged from climate change to biodiversity. The winners of the quiz won a R500 voucher to use at Courtyard Cafe that evening.

“The highlight of Earth Week for me was the amount of students that were fascinated by the biodiversity quiz that was held in the container. The engagement from students at our university is sometimes lacking, and I wish that every student was as passionate about environmental topics, as myself and the fellow Earth week organisers are, but it gives me hope after this week, that with more activities and initiatives, more students will want to involve themselves

An African perspective of climate change was heavily emphasised, because Africa as a continent will face the “earliest and worst adverse impacts of the climate crisis,” said Professor Midgely.

Professor Midgely ended the session with a plea for the collective body of students and staff to “be well informed and put pressure” to make change, as “the climate crisis is the challenge of our time”.

On 14 April, there was a panel discussion held in the Jan Mouton Learning Centre titled ‘Integrating sustainability in research’. The

in environmental activism,” said Farquhar. A seminar titled ‘China’s just, equitable and fair transition to decarbonisation in an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Context: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa by Qingxiu Bu’ was held in the Jan Mouton Learning Centre on Thursday. Bu is a research fellow, and spoke on China’s plan to reach netzero by 2060.

Khia van der Meulen, BSc Biodiversity and Ecology student attended the seminar and said, “Based on the fact that [China is] turning out 40-50 gigawatt of renewable energy annually, one hopes that these lessons learned by China can be applied to the inner workings of other countries, like South Africa.”

EcoMaties hosted a night market on the Rooiplein featuring various sustainable vendors and second-hand goods on Friday, 21 April. The green student society fended off the first of the weekend’s cold with fairy lights and general merriment among the vendors’ stalls. The always-lekker Almost Alive band offered live entertainment for students looking for a good thrift find, or supporting some small student businesses.

Anaïs Breytenbach, EcoMaties chairperson, explained that the point of the night market is to promote the United Nations' (UN) twelfth Sustainable Development Goal: sustainable consumption and production.

“These are all sustainable vendors,” said Breytenbach. “It’s either people [who] are local producers or locally operating, otherwise with sustainable packaging or re-used products like most of the thrifting here. So promoting a circular economy, and inspiring some interest in it as well.”

To end off the festivities of Earth Week, UNASA and Helshoogte cleaned up part of Kuilsrivier on 22 April. “It was two hours of hard, smelly and repetitive work, but I believe we truly made a difference,” said a participant.

panellists included Dr Christian Lueme from SU’s Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, whose research is laden with climate resilience and planetary health; Ms Yenziwe Mbuyisa, MSc student and GAUC (Global Alliance of Universities on Climate) ambassador and Dr Jason Samuels from GreenX, an engineering company with a focus on energy efficiency in South African schools.

Due to time constraints, the session functioned more as a series of short talks as opposed to a panel discussion, but the main message was that there is a place for a sustainability approach in all sectors of research, as Mbuyisa said in her presentation, researchers can “Come from anywhere and work towards sustainability”.

A Climate Justice workshop was held in the Natural Sciences building on 18 April, presented by the CJCM and in association with UNASA. The workshop set out to create conversations around Climate Justice and The Deep Just Transition, as well as give students an opportunity to further their understanding of the climate crisis and to equip them with tools to be more effective and meaningful activists.

Dr Matthew Wingfield, as a representative of the CJCM, facilitated the workshop. This event also served as a follow-up from a conference held in Johannesburg on 23 and 24 March, which invited young activists, environmental and faith-based organisations, academics, community leaders and labour unions from across South Africa to discuss a plan for an alternative future for the country. The workshop was at full capacity, and saw great engagement amongst the participants.

Considering the quantity of events happening during Earth Week, the participation from students was surprisingly minimal. Anesu Karadzandima, Green HC from Nemesia, shared her thoughts on Earth Week at SU, “I believe the Earth Week of this year encompassed a wide array of activities and students were just spoilt for choice! [Whilst] some students are keen to learn more and understand the importance of thinking and acting sustainably for our future; others still do not understand the importance and others simply still do not care.”

Earth Week is a week of celebration and amplification of eco-consciousness and efforts towards sustainability. It should not, however, be the only time that these conversations are being had on campus. As Breytenbach put it, “Hopefully the lessons learnt throughout the course of Earth Week will inspire us to work on building our alliance with nature, such that every day becomes a day worthy of celebrating the Earth.”

PHOTO: Emma Olivier

PHOTOS: Emma Jane Metcalf

STUDENT LIFE

From across the pond: The international student experience

TARO SAMUELSON

Stellenbosch University (SU), one of Africa’s highestranked universities, attracts some attention on the world stage. This, along with the fact that Stellenbosch is known as a vibrant student town in an idyllic region of the Winelands, catches the eye of many international students from around Africa and, indeed, the world. One has to wonder, what is our own SU like for people who experience it thousands of kilometres from home? How different does campus seem when it carries an air of otherness?

Many international students come to SU for the award-winning faculties. “I’ve always heard it has a really good Engineering faculty.” Nourelhouda Raddadi, firstyear BEng student from Tunisia,

commented. The university’s reputation certainly precedes it, and most international students cite SU’s academic merit as their reason for coming to South Africa. There are so many places to choose from when looking past high school, but few universities can boast of SU’s facilities. “The education is there (in Zimbabwe), but the infrastructure here is better,” according to Londile Mlilo, first-year BEng (Civil Engineering) student.

When the tables are turned though, and prospective students are looking for a home after choosing South Africa as their destination, SU’s campus excels at tipping the scales. Sunny Kim, first-year BSc (Human Life Sciences) student from Namibia tells of her visit to Stellenbosch last year: “I just fell in love with it. Like, how beautiful it [is], the scenery [...] the mood, and the atmosphere as well.” Usually, either the open campus, the student life, or a combination of both swayed the students towards the Maties life. Cicka Nwagboso, BEng (Mechatronics) student, said that SU alumni “described the campus as integrated with the city and everything being within

walking distance,” which appealed to her.

Crossing country borders with no return ticket is certainly a bumpy ride, and South Africa has its ways of making it even more interesting. Many SU staples, from the multiculturality to “klein Saturdag,” were pleasant surprises to the new Maties. The residence culture is also a shock to many students from further away. Mayamiko Mwale, BEng student from Zimbabwe, admitted that he “thought it would just be, like, a building where you just sleep, but there are competitions and events, and that was unexpected.” Many also express how racial diversity and how much there is to learn from other cultures is something that they did not expect.

As for Stellenbosch, the small things threw international students for a loop. “These people don’t wear shoes,” according to Bokang Rampa, a first-year student from Lesotho. “Time doesn’t exist here, but I feel like it’s more of a student thing.” The plethora of languages all around campus was also something many people had

to grow accustomed to. Nwagboso also mentioned minute details like, “the fact that there are no street vendors really threw [me] for a loop.” Bigger differences, like language barriers and weather, are easy to prepare for and are thus well thought out and processed before international students arrive in town. The tiny blessings (or curses) always leave people the most surprised, whether they move, immigrate, or come for studies.

Though, South African life has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the visa-holders among us. Many students feel they have been on higher alert regarding their safety since arriving. “I think the worst was not researching and preparing for [the higher crime rate] in advance,” said Raddadi. And, of course, load shedding added yet another change in routine to get used to. “I didn’t expect loadshedding to affect my everyday life so much. I have to plan my day according to the load-shedding schedule […] and that is definitely the worst thing [about South Africa],”

admitted Kim.

While most international students only go home twice or four times a year, many say that they would recommend studying abroad to anyone. Apart from some minor superficial hurdles, and cost barriers, the biggest caveat is that homesickness can sometimes add to the overwhelming nature of university life.

The experience SU offers to every student is unique. Some, though, are a little more unique than others. While the air of otherness may sometimes add to the uncertainty and emotionality of pursuing a degree, it also adds to the thrill of the leap between high school and university lifestyle. While SU might have seemed foreign and far-off to this fervent group of students just a few years ago, they also call it home now. Campus culture, as impactful, bombastic, and electric as it is, is ours to share, and it ought to be shared as far and wide as we can muster.

Freedom Day means “to appreciate that we have freedom.”

“It means there’s a chance to recuperate, and to think about people who aren’t free, perhaps, and be grateful for your freedom.”

“What Freedom Day means to me – it just shows how far our country has come since apartheid and since the dark history have.”

“It is probably the only reason that my parents could get married, because they were classified as different races back then, so it’s a good thing in that sense.”

Eden Lekay BCom (Management Sciences)

Fritz Arndt BComHons (Economics)

Bella van der Merwe BA (Humanities)

Sharfa du Plessis BA (Drama &Theatre Studies)

Photos: Charlotte Moss

Lights! Camera! Palesa!

The Annual Palesa Theatre Festival took place from 26 April to 29 April. Palesa, previously known as Toneelfees, is a cultural event whereby students are given the platform to display their acting abilities. The winner of the Palesa Theatre Festival is afforded a guaranteed spot to perform at the annual Woordsfees.

Michaela Eichel, executive member of KUKO, SU SRC Cultural Portfolio, said, “The Palesa Theatre festival is an annual friendly competition where residences and PSOs write, direct and perform original plays allowing for creative expression and a memorable bonding experience.”

Further, Eichel said, “This year’s Palesa festival was the first theatre festival that was able to take place without any Covid-19 restrictions or the fear of public gatherings since 2019.”

This year proved that the cultural scene within Stellenbosch

has been reignited. Simonsberg Residence stole the show by winning the majority of the applicable categories; best overall production, best directing, best ensemble, best audio/visual production, best supporting actor,

Vermaak stated that the provision of a well-organised Palesa Theatre Festival truly afforded students the privilege of expressing their creativity. The Simonsberg production, The Session, followed the experiences of individuals during Welcoming Week as they navigated the newness of university and the independence which came with it.

and best comedy. Not to mention, their director, Reeder Vermaak, was also awarded best dressed audience member! Vermaak said, “The organisational ability of this year’s KUKO is exceptional, I’ve been involved in most Kuko arranged events over my three years of study at Stellenbosch and this year’s organisational efforts have been world class!”

When asked about why he believed their performance stood out, Vermaak said that their play was written by the cast members and derived from stories from Simonsberg residence. This created the space to craft something that every audience member could relate to. He further emphasised, “The creative power of collaboration also should not be underestimated. This play was created by combining the experiences of multiple people from completely different backgrounds and beliefs and that only added to the relatability of our

play and the sense of authenticity we were able to portray on stage.”

Given its the first year postCovid-19 , Eichel commented, “There are many older students that still remember the cultural scene pre-Covid but there are many newer students that have never experienced a completely unrestricted KUKO event. It is our job to ensure the success of

these events which would, in turn, ensure the success of future events.”

The next anticipated cultural event this year will be SU Acapella which will occur in August.

Given the impeccable start to the cultural season through Molasseser, Debating and Palesa Theatre Festival, one can only expect an exciting season ahead.

A sense of belonging for Victoria Cluster

AMBER APRIL

“Home is a space of free expression”, said Dr Choice Makhetha, Senior Director of the Division of Student Affairs, in her speech referencing the environment created within the newly launched Victoria Hub.

On 18 April the Victoria Hub was officially opened on Coligny Street. The hub is the third of its kind on Stellenbosch (SU) campus and caters to the Victoria Cluster, which consists of Silene, Oude Molen, Wilgenhof, Monica and Harmonie.

When asked about how the new hub will positively impact

the Victoria Cluster, Theane le Grange, HK of Silene, said, “The new hub has created an opportunity to bring together the Victoria Cluster communities to use this new space to build new traditions, strengthen student integration, and increase a sense of belonging, especially for PSO students.”

The Victoria Hub gives members of the cluster a space for academic and recreational purposes. There is also a Backpacker area established within the Hub which ensures that there is a safe space for commuter students to stay

overnight, should they be unable to return home.

When asked about what the most unique part of the Victoria Hub is, the Prim of Oude Molen, Shelton Ngomakapile, said, “The most unique part about the Victoria Hub is the endless possibilities that the hub brings to a commuter student.”

He noted that this hub affords students an opportunity to “foster a more genuine connection” outside of planned PSO events. This is a space they can call their own.

Monica du Toit, coordinator of Victoria Cluster, said, “We are

not here to play games, [and] we are not here to make beautiful buildings or tell people what they can or cannot do, we are [here because we are] serious about understanding community.”

Du Toit further added, “[Community] means creating deep connections beyond just hello.”

The Victoria Hub was launched on 28 April. There was also an opportunity for the greater Stellenbosch Community to participate in various activities planned by members of the Victoria Cluster.

PALESA THEATRE FESTIVAL An evening of entertainment at Drostdy Theatre. Photo: Elouise van Wyk.

AMBER APRIL

“The creative power of collaboration also should not be underestimated.”

WINNING PRODUCTION Simonsberg Residence after their performance.

Photo: Elouise van Wyk

Photo: Uyanda Tyusha

On Sunday 23 April the Courtyard Café was reignited with Baked Shakespeare’s raucous rendition of the English playwright’s As You Like It. Their second performance in Stellenbosch this year had the audience enthusiastically selecting Orlando, the lead — played by S’Qhamo Mangcu — and his brother, Oliver — played by James Stoffberg — to be the smoking victims under its zealous command. With all five fie’s enacted within the first-half of the show, the cast was in for a hearty Stellenbosch send-off.

Baked Shakespeare, the theatre company that incorporates weedsmoking during their performance (at the behest of their audience), takes pride in presenting plays that speak to our modern climate and engage with those watching. With Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night under their belt, they returned to Stellenbosch with a successful take on As You Like It

“It’s another gender-bendy vibe, it feels a lot more relatable,” Juliette Rose-Innes, the show’s director, explains. She explains why they chose that specific play, “It mainly deals with human emotion and theme as opposed to a very strong storyline.”

The comedic elements of the plot are expertly enhanced by the cast’s extravagance (flowing particularly from the members five bowls deep), which leaves the audience in stitches.

The engagement with the audience is an integral part of the show’s concept. The cast and director prioritise their viewer’s enjoyment and ensure that they have fun watching the play, in a way that transcends simply laughing at people getting high.

Erin Gemmell — the actor for Audrey — comments, “What’s so nice about playing to audiences like [Stellenbosch] is that it really is [...] a group that can take the weed in its stride, but [...] also connect so strongly with the actual story.”

Stoffberg further says, “Baked

Shakespeare is very much about connecting with the audience and making [it] a part of the show [...] even if that means we’re going to break character because we’re giggling on stage, we know that the audience is still going to have fun with that.”

Their Stellenbosch audience displayed an openness towards fellow audience members smoking with the cast.

Gemmell explains, “It’s such an open space and [smoking together] creates a lot of trust between the audience and the actors [...]”

The cast doesn’t deny that the opportunity to smoke is a selling point for their show, but ventures to say that the performance may even be more enjoyable sober.

The cast has learnt the value of this bond with their audience after a year of performing both Twelfth Night and As You Like It to many different audiences in many different contexts.

Jake Maisel, the founder of Baked Shakespeare, jokes that Twelfth Night was their first good show. He adds that the theatre company has grown naturally since its start two years ago — so much so that it is now a licensed model, meaning that interested parties can buy the concept overseas.

More than twenty additional shows of As You Like It are on the cards for the company: a mention of the National Arts Festival (NAF) in June was met with whoops of excitement from the audience.

Maisel shares, “The crazy thing is [the festival organisers are] letting us do the proper concept so […] we’re smoking bongs on stage at NAF!”

Their excitement over the opportunity to do their show properly is encouraged by their fans’ support of the concept.

“It’s amazing that they remember most of their lines with their brains like mush. It’s something different and that’s engaging,” Michael Christison, an audience member and avid supporter, comments.

The professionalism of the cast and crew in producing the best show possible shows. With none of their rehearsals involving the

LADY MARY JANE STARS ONCE MORE IN BAKED SHAKESPEARE’S AS YOU LIKE IT

weed at all, the cast’s phenomenal acting abilities emerge amongst giggling fits and forgotten lines. The actors remaining sober throughout the show are required to stare in earnest, without an inkling of indication that anything is amiss, as their fellow castmate does a dance break in an attempt to recall his words.

Beyond humbling displays of the very high actor behind the character, the production of the show exceeds expectations — whether there be weed or no weed. Every member’s dedication to fulfilling the height of entertainment is shown in their complete submission to the theatrics required to pull off the Shakespeare play. With enrapturing chemistry between the cast that clearly displays their bond, and musical numbers using the melody of hits by Taylor Swift, One Direction, ABBA, George Michael, and The Beatles, it is undeniable that they bring something to the table far beyond the dramatic exhale of smoke mid-performance.

Rose-Innes explains, “A whole lot of annoying intellectual culture made people think that Shakespeare isn’t consumable and fun and for everyone, and I think we make it fun and consumable and for everyone.”

CIARA SHAYE SEAMAN

Photo: Sebastiaan Whitward

Photo: Sebastiaan Whitward

Een van my heel eerste musiek-herineringe is die musiekvideos van Afrikaanse pop-punk ensemble, Glaskas. Hul distorted kitare en selfversekerde houding het my danen-daar iets baie belangrik geleer:

Kuns is cool! Glaskas bestaan uit Deon Meiring (voorsanger), Lolke-Louis Claasen (tromme), Francois Kleynhans (kitaar), en Johan Viljoen (baskitaar).

Tans is dit meer as ’n dekade later en my bewondering vir Afrikaanse kuns is so lewendig soos altyd. Natuurlik was ek baie opgewonde toe Deon en die res van Glaskas ingestem het om met my te klets in die oploop na hul Aandklas-opvoering op 15 April.

Die Matie (DM): Ná byna twee dekades in die musiekbedryf, hoe hou julle dit vars en interessant vir julself?

Deon: Ek was baie jonk toe ek begin het. Ek was sewentien toe die eerste album uitgekom het. Ek was toe baie onervare en het ’n baie vooropgestelde idee gehad van wat ek wou doen, maar die gawe daarvan is dat ek nog baie tyd gehad het om te groei. In daai eerste paar jaar moes ek nog universiteit toe gaan en klomp

groot lewensfases deurgaan. Ek dink dit het my geleer hoe om te groei as mens en as musikant.

Dit is wel al sewentien jaar, maar daar was ook onderbrekings tussenin. Ons het in 2012 ons laaste album uitgebring.

DM: Soos wat julle vroeër gesê het, is dit al tien jaar sedert julle nuwe musiek vrygestel het. Is daar enige iets nuut in the works?

Deon: Ons bring ’n nuwe single die vyfde Mei uit, so dis nou amper om die draai. Jis, ons het hoe lank record aan daai single?

Lolke-Louis: Drie Maande!

Deon: Die ding is, omdat ons nie almal in dieselfde dorp is nie, is dit moeilik om almal saam tyd te kry om in die studio te wees. Ons het ’n lekker workflow create en wil eintlik nog twee singles uitgee.

DM: Wat is van julle invloede vir hierdie nuwe Glaskas era wat nou voorlê?

Deon: Ek dink die eerste invloed is ons ou musiek. Ek het nou vir lank vir myself en my ander projekte geskryf, toe moes ek weer dink hoe klink Glaskas. Ek wil nie net skryf soos wat al my ander goed klink nie, ek wil skryf hoe Glaskas klink. So ek het gegaan vir daai band-vibe, pop-punk. Ons is maar ’n pop-punk band grootendeels.

Ek het bietjie 80s invloede ook gehad toe ek geskryf het. Ek dink net dit is ’n uitsonderlike era van musiek gewees.

DM: Ek love lyrics, dit is vir my baie belangrik. Waarvan trek julle inspirasie?

Deon: Dit kom maar altyd uit my eie lewe uit. Ek het so bietjie meer digkuns begin lees die laaste [paar] jare. Ek sou nie sê my lirieke is digkuns nie, maar ek hou daarvan om geïnspireer te word deur digkuns. En dan ook dinge soos die koerant of die bybel, goeters soos dit. Dit is mooi tekste.

DM: Hierdie is ’n baie general vraag, maar wat dink julle is die stand van Afrikaanse musiek op die oomblik?

Francois: Ek dink tot ’n [sekere mate], dis vrek gesond. Dit is só accessible om jou eie stuff te doen deesdae, dat almal kan net goed uitbring. Ons het vandag geluister na Zoé [se musiek]. Ek love dit. Dis Paramour-ish, dis in Afrikaans, ek dink dit is amazing.

Deon: Ek werk met die ATKV by Cresendo, wat ’n liedjie-skryfontwikkelingsprogram is. Wat amazing is om daar te sien, is die diverse klanke wat daar was. [Dit is opwindend om te hoor] hoe mense net klink soos hulle self.

GLASKAS: VOLSTOOM VOORUIT!

Juvenile

By phenyo lewanika

he stars align as I descend into

I am spiralling, I am blind to despair’s conniving Can the damned be saved? I seek guidance from the Ancient But, the sky is empty, The Bible is empathy. I am blessed with mastery over Yet, I am in the clouds Surrounded by nature‘s fellows. I cling on to my sanity, But, how do you hold onto a mirage? Creation is fragile, Do you understand me?

A thought arrives and makes It makes no sense, This possession of power may Static clogs the membrane surrounding It is my divine right to whisper Blessed are the beautiful, And fruitful are the poets that It is futile, I do not understand this juvenile I know better, I seek clarity in a subservient This is a forlorn attempt. I do not know better. They cry out, I am the daughter I refuse to visit Eden, The weeds have overstayed their This is a mess of intertwined

KOBUS ERASMUS

Photo: @shutterbug.png

Photo: @shutterbug.png

into madness, conniving plan, Ancient Teacher over pen and word, fellows. mirage?

EBEN LABUSCHAGNE

itself at home, not be real, surrounding my thoughts. whisper in vain, that roam the realms. juvenile insanity. subservient reality, daughter of Cain. their welcome, thoughts that are childish.

When first introduced to Dank Neighbourhood a month ago, it felt like I’d been let in on the local music scene’s best kept secret. With an impeccable sense of feel and vibe, the Neighbourhood launched a graceful assault on my uninitiated ears. From the moodshifting melancholy of ‘Grandma’s Piano’ to the disturbingly surreal ‘Supunapena’, thus far the group have demonstrated a broad yet impressively cohesive sound unlike anything I’ve heard coming from the Western Cape. The best part is that there is more on the way…

Boasting eleven members, Dank Neighbourhood has an interesting creative process. With multiple rappers and three producers (or ‘beat makers’ as they like to call themselves), producer and finisher, Marcel van der Veen, sheds some light on the production process.

“How we mainly work is each person or each producer has his own beats that he makes. The producer will present the beat to all of the oaks that want to rap on it. Then the guys that want to rap on it will choose like, ‘I like that, I want to be on that.’ The dibs process Is quite intense sometimes.

Sometimes we work together on one beat, that sometimes happens as well,” he says.

Rapper Twesigye Paul Twekye says most of their writing and recording happens individually, although for their upcoming project he says, “For the first half of the album most of the

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY (DANK)

NEIGHBOUR HOOD

guys went together to Worcester, and they had weekend together there, which I believe they wrote some stuff together there.”

The group have released the upbeat, easy flowing single ‘on my mind’ ahead of the release of their sophomore effort, an album set to release on the 2nd of June.

In comparison to their first album ‘Anthropology’, member Nicholas de Jager aka ‘Stratosfear’ says, “I feel like it’s a lot more polished… especially from the producer’s side. And also, I think there’s a lot of like a jazz influence in this new album.”

On the jazz influence, already palpable on certain tracks on ‘Anthropology’, producer Ryno, aka 'Courtside’, mentions his sampling process.

“I sample quite a bit and a lot of it’s like, more jazzy type stuff… A lot of it comes from that Nujabes, J Dilla, Q-Tip, those manne. Yhea, sample some old jazz and make a lo-fi beat.”

The group also expresses a desire to provide a live, full band gig aspect to the Cape Town HipHop/Rap experience, something often overlooked by artists and fans of the genre alike. “We do sample a lot of stuff, but playing a show is always what we do keep in mind. We do always try and keep in mind what it's gonna look like live, Rapper ‘Young JD the Easy Tiger’ weighs in, saying “It helps an audience connect more. I feel like a lot of rappers these days will just put a beat up in the background,

and not even mute their vocals”. To gather some more momentum for the upcoming album, the group gave us a sneak peak at their next single ‘The Fumes’, set to release on 5 May. Compared to the easy ‘on my mind’, ‘The Fumes’ sees the Neighbourhood get hard, heavy, abrasive and apocalyptic. Rap flow like liquid fire and a relentless track to back it up make for a fantastic listen. Tackling a perhaps too real theme of social media addiction in the digital dystopia, the group are clearly bringing their A game for this new project.

Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

Die Vereniging vir Afrikaansstudente (VER[r]AS) het op Dinsdag, 11 April die nuutste Penseel-bundel bekendgestel. Die studentepublikasie is in 1969/70 deur Danie Botha en Fanie Olivier gestig, en bied sedertdien geleentheid vir Maties om hulself kreatief digterlik uit te druk. Sommige literêre bekendes wat al in Penseel verskyn het, is, onder andere, André le Roux, Marlene van Niekerk en Etienne van Heerden. Die 2022-Penseel se treffende voorblad (deur Ron Sauerman ontwerp), weerspieël in hierdie geval beslis die inhoud van die bundel. ’n Leser wat woordkuns so kleurvol en dinamies soos die omslag verwag, sal nie teleurgesteld wees nie - kleurvol en dinamies nie net in terme van ryk, denkwaardige beeldspraak nie, maar ook in die bundel se tematiese verskeidenheid en skakerings van skryfstyle. Die bekendstellingsgeleentheid in die Hofmeyr-saal was ’n gesellige samekoms met smaaklike versnapperings en aangrypende voorlesings. Die redaktrise van die 2022-bundel, Anouk Cronjé, sê dit was ’n goeie geleentheid “om die digters self te leer ken... en te sien uit watter oord kom hierdie skryfwerk”. Sy voeg by dat die gedigte

“nuwe lewe” kry wanneer dit voorgelees word.

Suné Mostert, TweedejaarBA (Taal en Kultuur)-student, vertel: “Die aand van die bekendstelling was vir my baie spesiaal, aangesien ek een van my gedigte kon voorlees, en die ander digters se gedigte kon hoor en weer na die tyd lees. Ek het raakgesien gevoel. Ek het nuwe like-minded mense ontmoet wat in skrywersvriendskappe blom, waaroor ek opgewonde is. Penseel-bekendstelling: wyn en digkuns; 10/10!”

Cronjé verduidelik dat die keuringsproses behels het dat ’n advertensie vir inskrywings uitgestuur is. Inskrywings is dan anoniem aan die keurderspaneel (dr. Amanda Marais, dr. Alfred Schaffer en mnr. Marius Swart) gestuur en volgens ’n puntestelsel gekeur. Die puntestelsel het ’n afsnypunt gehad. Almal bo die afsnypunt is by die publikasie ingesluit. Omdat die bundel geen spesifieke tema het nie, was daar veel ruimte vir allerlei onderwerpe.

Die redaksie, Anouk Cronjé, Rentia Meyer (onderredaktrise), Maya Joubert, Cameron-Jo Benjamin en Duné van Jaarsveld, het met die leiding van prof. Andries Visagie ’n pragbundel voortgebring en vir opkomende skrywers die geleentheid gegee om die publikasiewêreld te verken.

PENSEEL(2022) VONKEL IN HELDER, LEWENDIGE AFRIKAANS

Juvenile

By phenyo lewanika

LITMATIE

he stars align as I descend into madness, I am spiralling, I am blind to despair’s conniving plan, Can the damned be saved?

I seek guidance from the Ancient Teacher

But, the sky is empty, The Bible is empathy.

I am blessed with mastery over pen and word, Yet, I am in the clouds Surrounded by nature‘s fellows. I cling on to my sanity, But, how do you hold onto a mirage?

Creation is fragile, Do you understand me?

A thought arrives and makes itself at home, It makes no sense,

This possession of power may not be real, Static clogs the membrane surrounding my thoughts. It is my divine right to whisper in vain, Blessed are the beautiful, And fruitful are the poets that roam the realms. It is futile,

I do not understand this juvenile insanity.

I know better, I seek clarity in a subservient reality, This is a forlorn attempt. I do not know better. They cry out, I am the daughter of Cain.

I refuse to visit Eden, The weeds have overstayed their welcome,

Photo: Emma Olivier

AND ALL THAT JAZZ.

The quietness that usually falls on an audience before an instrumental band starts to play was quickly broken by the request that Felicia Lesch, conductor of the Stellenbosch University (SU) Jazz Band. “You must make noise and you must dance,” she said when welcoming the audience. This definitely set the tone for the cheerful and lively performance that was to follow.

The SU Jazz Band’s performance on Saturday, 22 April was part of the many performances of the Endler 2023 concert series. The idea behind their performance was to pay tribute to the late Gloria Bosman, South African jazz singer. "Initially, Gloria Bosman was going to be a headline for the concert as she's been doing concerts with us for the past eight years or so, so when she unexpectedly passed we decided to do a tribute,” explained Lesch. The program for the evening was set up with 90% of the compositions being South African. Some of the songs played in tribute to Bosman include, Bosmans singles, 'Lover's Dance' released in 2006, and 'Timeless' released in 1999. The performance of the evening was titled, 'The music of our sons and daughters',

which Stuart Martin, member of the Maties Jazz society and SU Jazz band, interpreted as a comment on how, "the students are really making a name for themselves, seeing as this is actually a classical institute, and now we're getting international artists like Pascal Haas to come and work with us."

The evening kicked off with a bang (on the drums) by the young, yet talented students from the Outeniqua High School Jazz band. These students left the audience vibing with their jazzed up version of the classic song, 'My Favorite Things' from the film, The Sound of Music

Lynette Petersen, music teacher at Outeniqua High and SU alumni, surprised the audience when she made it known that all of the students are under the age of 18.

Next up were the Newbies; their name is definitely not a reflection of their skill, but rather of the amount of time they have been a part of the SU Jazz Band. The Newbies started getting lessons in jazz theory a year ago from Ramon Alexander, full time musician and leader of the Maties Jazz Society. “We started off by getting used to key changes and swinging,” explained Courtney Sampson, second-year student and

member of the Newbies. Janine October, third-year student and Newbies member who originally trained in classical piano made her drumming debut at the performance on 22 April. “I think it really does push us as instrumentalists to do different genres,” she says.

Pascal Haas, German drummer and conductor from the University of Munich, together with the SU Jazz Band performed songs from the Charly Parker Jazz Plus strings 1950's album where they presented the two separate worlds of classical music and jazz together in a unique way.

The toe tapping continued when the SU Jazz Band played their last song and had everyone to their feet and dancing with their rendition of 'Dance Some More' by Mango Groove. October perfectly described the vibe when asked about the performance: “The emotions were electric!”

Later on in the month the SU Jazz Band will also be performing in Cape Town at the Big Bang Jazz Festival on Wednesday, 31 May.

Be sure to keep an eye on the @sukonservatorium Instagram page for updates on their lunchtime concerts and other performances at the Endler Hall.

JANI ROUX

Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

Photo: supplied

do not know better. They cry out, I am the daughter of Cain. I refuse to visit Eden, The weeds have overstayed their welcome, This is a mess of intertwined thoughts that are childish.

editorial

In a dark office at the end of a dingy hallway on the third floor of the Neelsie, a creature lurks. This creature does not know time, or even really place. The creature moans and groans and often must be fed to avoid certain death. It is nocturnal and feral, prowling about looking for an easy target. The creature is called ... Writer’s Block. Not to be confused with Procrastination or its weirdsheep-in-the-family cousin, Laziness. More often than not the regular office-dwellers find themselves backed into a corner, begging for mercy and

an extension on their article deadline. Not only writers, but students too have succumbed to its predatory ways. It makes you sweat, and cry, and doubt your own abilities. The most dangerous attributes of Writer’s Block includes having 35 tabs open on your browser, a type of manic anxiety you only get from one too many cups of coffee, and several crumpled pages with thick black lines striking out whatever pathetic attempt there was at finishing the assignment. Or an empty Word document if you’re not a luddite like me. This creature has been very busy as of late.

Its newest tactic? Convincing its victims to cry for the help of an even greater evil - ChatGPT. This new beast will chew you up and then spit you out (and deduct about 30-50% of your mark...if you don’t end up in front of a disciplinary c ommittee). Luddite-status and personal feelings aside, do not dismiss this new beast as harmless. It most certainly is a double-edged sword and a twofaced friend. ChatGPT is in no way a true reflection of your abilities or creativity. It cannot substistute the achievement of a good mark received on merit nor can it teach it you to find

Journalist of the Week

Lienke Norval

•A boygenius fan.

•Cat-parent to Muis.

•Favourite movies include Johnny is nie Dood nie and Mulan (1998).

•Spends a lot of time at Dorp Bar, where she works on her essays and articles.

•A poet.

photo feature

ARGIEF / ARCHIVE

All editions of Die Matie from 1941 to 2011 are available online in PDF format as part of SUNDigital Collections on the SU Library’s website. Other editions of Die Matie are available on Issuu. Please visit https://issuu.com/diematie

Other editions of Die Matie are available on Issuu. Please visit https:// issuu.com/diematie

KLAGTEPROSEDURE EN FOUTRAPPORTERING / COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE AND REPORTING ERRORS

Die Matie is onderhewig aan ’n gedragskode wat by Studenteregering by die Afdeling Studentesake beskikbaar is.

Klagtes oor Die Matie se inhoud moet volgens die uiteengesette prosedure binne veertien dae ná publikasie aanhangig gemaak word.

Die Matie subscribes to the Press Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media.

If we do not adhere to this code, please contact the Press Council of South Africa at https://www. presscouncil.org.za/

If we do not adhere to this code, please contact the Press Council of South Africa at https://www. presscouncil.org.za/

the nearest seat, open a book and actually put your nose to the grindstone and sharpen your skills. This beast we are only still getting to know is a fraud. Sure, it’s time-efficient and it gets the job done, but as far as I know Stellenbosch University has yet to enroll a robot for a degree programme. To use ChatGPT for academic or creative purposes is as good as plagiarism and there is absolutely no way around that fact. Worse still is the fact that AI poses a very real threat to many of the limited jobs left out there for those of us graduating...especially those

in creative and administrative fields. If it can do your course work then surely it deserves your degree. After all, it did all the work.

RAAK BETROKKE / HELP OUT KONTAK ONS /GET INVOLVED

To get involved as journalist, reach out to us on any of our social media platforms or send an email to 21801886@sun.ac.za

CONTRIBUTORS

PROOFREADERS:

Theodora Njati

POSADRES Langenhoven Studentesentrum; Privaatsak X1; Universiteit Stellenbosch; Matieland; 7602 WEBSITE www.diematie.co.za FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/diematie INSTAGRAM @diematie ADVERTENSIES diematieads@gmail.com

Editorial staff

Editor-in-Chief Aurelia Mouton

Layout Editor Jaime Watkins

Photo Editor Emma Jane Metcalf

News Aurelia Mouton

Student Life Amber April

Dag & Nag Kobus Erasmus

Sport Kezia Daniels

Sub-editor (Eng) Alison Hermanus

Sub-editor (Afrik) Aldo Horn

Social Media Emma Hamman

Online Jani Roux

Managing Editor Tiaan Booyens

Financial Manager Emma Cochrane

LAYOUT: Helena Reid

Abigail de Klerk Simone Christain

Photo: Tiaan Booyens

Cartoon: Nicole Salgueiro Die Matie 10 May 2023

Photo: Jaime Watkins

Varsity Cup 2023: The Rundown

BENCE

Many students see the month of February as an end to their holiday and a return to the exhilarating, yet stress inducing, student life but to the rugby loving scholars and Maties supporters it is seen as the beginning of a new season of the annual Varsity Cup. The 2023 Varsity Cup, which consisted of 7 rounds, a Semi-Final, a Final and a Promotion Relegation match, spanned from the 20th of February to the 17th of April.

A total of 8 university rugby teams took part in the 16th season of the cup and with the Maties rugby team having won 5 cups prior the fans were eager to see if they could secure the cup once again.

Round 1:

The first round had Maties face off against UCT Ikeys and was played on the Maties home turf at the Danie Craven stadium. With a sold-out stadium, supporters were ready for the start of 2023’s varsity cup and what ensued was a suspenseful 1st match where Maties clinched the win by

scoring a penalty kick in the final minutes of the match.

Final score: 21 – 19 Won

Round 2:

The 2nd match was Maties vs CUT Ixias which took place at the Danie Craven stadium as well but unlike the previous week Maties were unable to catch up to an early lead set up by the Ixias which left them a few points shy from another win.

Final score: 19 – 23 Lost

Round 3:

The first match away from home Maties secured the win against NWU Eagles on their own field, the Fanie Du Toit Sports Ground.

Round 4:

The Wits stadium welcomed Maties where, in the fourth round, they played against the Wits rugby team and won with a 2-point difference.

Final score: 54 – 56 Won

Round 5:

The fifth round had Maties return home to the Danie Craven stadium and face the previous year’s champions, UP TUKS. An early lead from Maties had TUKS fighting their way up the scoreboard the entire match and by the end could not catch up to Maties.

Final score: 46 – 35 Won

Round 6:

The following week saw Maties play UJ in the UJ Stadium where both teams put up a valiant effort to secure the win but, in the end, UJ managed to emerge victorious.

Final score: 49 – 42 Lost

Round 7: Maties' final match at home in the Danie Craven stadium was played against UFS Shimlas. A devastating defeat for Maties

seeing as a point deficit of 31 meant that this match was the most severe loss of the season.

Final score: 12 – 43 Lost

Semi Finals: Back in Potchefstroom

Maties faced NWU Eagles on their field in a match that mirrored that of the 3rd round in all but outcome. Maties lost in a very tense Semi Final which ended their run in 2023’s Varsity Cup.

Final score: 19 – 10 Lost

Out of the seven rounds Maties played this Varsity Cup season they managed to win four of the matches. Many of their matches, whether

lost or won, resulted in an extremely close finish with very minimal difference in score. Maties ended up in the 4th position on the log underneath UCT Ikeys, UFS Shimlas and NWU Eagles in 3rd, 2nd and 1st place. Even though Maties were not able to win the cup they moved on to participate another year unlike UP TUKS, who ended up on the bottom of the log and will be relegated to the Varsity Shield division for next year’s season. All that is left now is the agonizing wait until next year to see if the Maroon Machine can climb their way to the top once more.

KRIS

GO TEAM Maroon machine gather midgame

Photo: Kris Bence

TWO VS ONE Maties player caught between two ikeys

Photo: Carel Stander

ON THE CHASE Jurie Matthee securing the goal Photo: Carel Stander

RUN ! Matthew van Schalkwyk in play

Photo: Kris Bence

CAUGHT Maties player making a breakthrough Photo: Carel Stander

TACKLED Maroon in full swing tackle

Photo: Carel Stander

ALL CLEAR Maroon in the clear

Photo: Carel Stander

Maties rowing exceeds expectations at USSA-R sprints

ANAKIN CURTIS & HOLLY MELLIN

Maties rowing team had a memorable and successful weekend at the USSA-R Sprints 2023 regatta. It was a culmination of hard work, dedication, and passion for the sport. This year's event was particularly special as the team achieved the best results in over a decade. For Maties women’s rower, Lee-Anne Cundill, making it into the grudge crew was a nervewracking experience, but one that paid off in the end. With an impressive 1km Erg (ergometer) trial time, Cundill was able to qualify for the finals, where she raced alongside some of the best rowers in the competition. Despite feeling nervous, Cundille's hard work and dedication paid off, and she was thrilled to be able to race with the grudge crew. Maties men’s rower, Campbell White, was equally surprised and happy to make it into the grudge crew, having been involved in rowing for nine years. He started off as a coxswain, the member of the team who is responsible for steering the boat and maintaining the rhythm of the rowers. After coxing for five of those nine years White felt like he finally got some recognition for his years of hard work. The Blues and Grudges race was a unique experience, based on the Oxford and Cambridge tradition. The race featured two eights for both genders, along with a coxswain, and pitted the best rowers against those who held a grudge against them.

“I was very surprised to

OBITUARY OF Renaldo

Dickson

Residence:

Majuba Mens Residence

Renaldo Dickson (also known as "Biggies" to his friends) passed away on 13 April 2023 after suddenly collapsing on the rugby field earlier that day. He was also known as Majuba's very first honorary "Majubaan of the week" in 2022. Friends and family describe Renaldo as a man who always showed kindess to both the people in his life and to stranger. He was described by his friends as "a genuine character with consistent positivity."

Some of Dickson's closest friends shared a few heartfelt messages at his memorial that took place on 19 April 2023. Liam Ness, one of Renaldo's closest friends described him as a "caring, sincere and bubbly person who always found a way to make every inconvenience feel like it never mattered." Ness then added,

"His spirit was incomparable, and his positive impact on my life and the lives of everyone here will never be forgotten." "Kindess came so naturally to Renaldo that it feels like he almost didn't belong here with the rest of us" said another close friend, Hans. A third friend who shared his memories of Renaldo at the memorial, Dylan, said, "We are not saying goodbye forever, because you will live on in our hearts and the hearts of everyone you touched along the way." The many heartfelt messages that were shared paint a clear picture of this exceptionally sincere and empathetic young man who will be greatly missed.

Die Matie expresses their condolences to Renaldo Dickson's family, friends and Majuba brothers during this time.

make it in, last year no Maties rower made it,” said White.

The Maties rowing team's success at the USSA-R Sprints 2023 regatta was a testament to the hard work and dedication of all involved. Dylan Schmidt, the Rowing Club President, was thrilled with the results, which he noted were the best in over a decade. He highlighted the growing community around Maties sport, with more supporters, alumni, and parents getting involved, as well as the club continuing to expand.

Julia Durr, the women's captain, was particularly proud of the women’s team’s achievements, with two eight boats entered and many rowers competing in individual boats. She was excited about the strong bond that had been created within the team and looked forward to the many successful regattas to come. Tim Martin, the men's captain, saw the regatta as an opportunity to build momentum for the rest of the year and future years of Maties rowing.

The Maties Rowing team had an excellent performance at the USSA-R Sprints this year, with impressive results across all crews and categories. The regatta was enjoyable for all participants, and the team was able to strengthen its relationships with neighboring rowing clubs such as the University of Cape Town (UCT). The success at USSA-R Sprints will hopefully provide momentum for the rest of the season and for future years of Maties Rowing.

Maties Cycling Club Ride Socials

Beginners MTB ride

When: Wed, 10 May 17:30

Where: Koloniesland, Coetzenberg, G-Spot

Meeting Point: Ou Landbousaal

Road group ride

When: Thur, 11 May 17:30

Where: Branwacht criterium Road & MTBs welcome, prizes up for grabs!

Meeting Point: Landbousaal

EITHER OAR Maties has their ducks in a row Photo: Jess De Freitas

Maties fencers get the point

Two blades sing together on a stage set that is the piste. The whistling of the fencer’s edge as it carves a path towards its opponent’s target area. With precision and elegance the strike should surely land, but the opponent is not yet helpless. Effortlessly through the air, the opponent’s weapon moves to parry and as if only an afterthought the riposte ensues. However, the opponent's riposte is evaded and the fencer makes a last ditch effort to attack with a passata sotto. A risky, but evasive move that involves the user dropping a hand to the floor and crouching underneath their opponent’s reaching blade to strike from below. A buzzer sounds to signify the end of the point. Fencing is not a sport that relies solely on the physical, but it relies on your wits and mental agility.

Believe it or not, fencing is not just an epic fighting style in period dramas and fantasy films, but also an official sport offered at Stellenbosch University.

Maties hockey strikes double gold

fondness for stabbing one another, but they’re truly from all walks of life. Maties Fencing club includes students from engineering, science, law and humanities faculties all over campus.

Fencing not only is a sport that has a lot of health benefits to it, but for some it can actually help with their academics too. BA Language and Culture secondyear Hellmuth Reinhardt Weich had this to say, “I’ll often get into bouts where I feel like I’m completely unmotivated or overwhelmed. Then I’ll attend a fencing match and feel great and be able to tackle all the work I’ve been procrastinating again.” Many studies have shown that the benefits of doing a sport are not only health related, but can include creating a better work ethic, time management skills, self-confidence and many more. These are all vital qualities students should have, which through doing fencing can provide.

In March the Maties fencers took part in a Western Cape Regional competition as their first competition of the year, and in fact their first in the last three years, although they did not win any medals. They will be participating in regionals again in August and October.

The fencing team has grown a lot this year with many newcomers taking up fencing for the first time. In fact, fencers do not even have to buy their own kit, as they can borrow the club’s equipment for free. While fencing still remains an underrated sport, this club’s supportive atmosphere makes it one well worth joining.

Maties football 2023: a season of anticipated success

Maties Football has continuously kept Maties sport’s name high. Naturely, this meant that they were Maties Sports Team of the year for 2021. This season, the Maties women’s team has been undefeated in the Sasol League and the men’s team currently sits in second in the Stellenbosch LFA Promo league.

The women’s team, after a few tough years, is on the up-anup. Jaime Swartz, final year BA (Humanities), plays as central attacking midfielder. Swartz explains: “The first win of this season, which I also scored a goal in, was especially special as the last couple of years were really tough. The unity and endurance of this team is so special, it really has not been easy and sometimes we had to face a lot of struggles.”

Anelisiwe Ngcobo has been

playing for the club since 2017 as a defensive midfielder. Ngcobo agrees with Swartz that it was special winning their first game of the season. “The team has been fighting relegation the past three seasons and I hope this win will reignite the fighting spirit within the team and hopefully we learn to love and enjoy the game again.”

It has been a challenge for the team to grow with new faces each year but still they continue to fight. The women's team aims to compete in the Hollywood Bets league soon.

Luphulo Zini, 4th year, BA (International Studies) has been playing central midfield for the team for the last four years. Football runs through the blood of Ronaldinho Johnson, just as the name suggests. Zini and Johnson share a similar success story with both returning to the

team after a long injury. Zini was happy to be back on the pitch and Johnson went on as a substitute against IKapa FC with the scores locked at 1-1, where he went on to score two goals to win the game for the team (3-1). Maties FC compete in the third highest league in the country with Zini being the team's top goal scorer. “It is nice to see the team spirit. The whole team backs each other from the players on the bench to the players on the field. There is a sense of unity and a great fighting spirit," says Zini. For Johnson it is the character of the team that shines through: “What makes this group of players so special, I would say is the togetherness." The women and men’s teams have been truly keeping their name high in their respective leagues and they're a pleasure to watch.

Two teams, two strategies, 10 Maties Hockey players and a double gold. The Junior Africa Cup took place in Egypt from 12 — 16 March, where South Africa was the overall victor for both the Women’s and Men’s Cup. This resulted in both teams qualifying for the FIH World Cup later this year. Each South African team contained five Maties Hockey players. Caylin Maree, Jenna Fyvie, Mikkela Le Roux, Katlego Bodibe and Daniella de Oliveira participated in the Women’s team while James Flint, Ross Montgomery, Hans Neethling, Caleb Oliphant and Viwe Mbata participated in the Men’s team.

“I do think we were favorites going in but it’s a game of hockey — anything can happen,” said James Flint a defender for u. 21 South Africa and Maties Hockey. The Men’s team final tested the experience and stamina of South Africa and their opponents, Egypt, as the game led to a penalty shootout. With Flint scoring the first of two goals, a drag flick from a shortie, and Egypt converting two in response in the last quarter, the game was brought to 2 — 2 at final time. Hans Neethling, a midfielder who plays upfront, then broke the sudden death in the penalty shootout, scoring the final goal to win the game.

In the Women’s final against Zimbabwe the team secured a victory with a 1 — 0 lead. Jenna Fyvie, a midfielder for the South African team, said, "It was quite a close game but I think we had to just manage the pressure and put as much pressure as we could on them.”

Caylin Maree, a striker said, “In those moments in the game when we were in the circle it was just important to stay calm and move the whole time to find yourself in a good position, to try [and] score,” as the other team were “on their defensive game” due to the high stakes of the final, explained Fyvie.

Guy Elliot, the u. 21 Men’s South African team’s coach, provided

insight into his experience of the Matie’s hockey boys. Elliot also explains that the “Maties programme is really great and very professional which means that [I don't] lose sleep over things like strength, conditioning and making sure that [we] have a professional mindset which aids a lot in [the team’s] success.” He also explains how difficult it is for the international teams to train a lot as the participants are all around the country, so he really relies on the universities to prepare his players. He “holds the Maties programme in high regard and [I] really respect them and what they do.” Elliot uses the saying “character over cover drive” and makes sure his players are able to play within a team. He says that it's been “a pleasure working with the Maties guys.”

Ross Montgomery, a midfielder who also played upfront said, “The intensity [we] train with [at Maties] is not really matched anywhere else, even at u. 21 level.”

Furthermore, Maties women’s hockey coach, Lenise Marais, was also the u. 21 South African coach. This means that “in a way [Maties Hockey] would do things the way [we] would do it at an international level,” with “high speeds” and experience, explained Maree. This is a testament to the hockey programme at Stellenbosch University.

Hockey in South Africa is increasing in popularity and success and is calling for more support.

Fyvie said the Cup was “One of the coolest experiences I have ever been a part of and when we sang the anthem for the first time I got goosebumps.”

Elliot encourages Stellenbosch students and residents to “go down and support the players,” as Neethling explains that “we want to create a brand of hockey that people want to watch and sponsor.”

Montgomery says, “We have the quality, we have the talent,” but unfortunately it often “comes down to money at the end of the day,” so all support is greatly appreciated.

HANS NEETHLING , MIDFIELDER Photo: Uyanda Tyusha

EMMA GILES

ANE HAVENGA

Photo: Emma Jane Metcalf