Must Be The Music

Music is an issue that is close to many hearts at Rhodes University and I’m sure to students all around the South Africa as well. I will take an even bolder step and say that music feeds many souls all around the world. The problem lies in how that music links you with the people around you. Does everyone in your group of friends have the same music taste as you do? And if not how do you decide where to party and hang-out to accommodate all in the group? This has been a problem encountered by many students at Rhodes. But the worst part about this situation is when you get labelled as a particular type of person when you attend the venues that cater for your particular choice of music. Being stereotyped according to your choice in music is something I am totally against and something that I feel is unnecessary.

Music is an escape; a release from what we know is reality into what we feel reality should be. It allows us to get lost in worlds that are beyond life experiences and to be self indulgent for those splendid three minutes. Music is much like our dreams in the way that we cannot control what those melodies do to us at that time and we just let loose in whichever way our body reacts. My views here are shared by Just Another Soul Thinking Aloud in a poem written on the blog about how music can transform the body through the rhythm of the soul. Because music has such a big impact on a person, it would be unfair to judge on a person on what moves them. One can have a liking to many different kinds of music and to acquire a label when enjoying a certain type is just wrong.

The classic stereotypes you get when listening to a certain genre of music or enjoying a certain type of club scene are: Hippies that listen to ‘chilled rock’ and indie music; emo’s that listen to death metal ; jock’s and poppies that listen to rave and dance and gangsters that listen to Hip-Hop. Alistair King, a first year at Rhodes University, has agreed that the “stereotyping is just a way to make everyone have a place in society”. This was a confirmation of my theory: the only reason we have stereotypes is because humans are afraid of uncertainty and when one is not labelled and in a group of his own it becomes problematic.

One should have the liberty to do what they want and be left alone in their space. They should be able to say that they love a certain type of music and not be thrown into a social category within that music genre. The societies of today are changing and merging so no stereotypes should exist in practicality. One should be able to rage on about their favourite artist - like Briget does about James Blunt – and should be acknowledged for their taste without being ridiculed and labelled.

Lastly, one should have the pleasure of having random tastes in music and everything else for that matter. Just because you listen to one type of music cannot mean you don’t enjoy another. If I was labelled for the music I listen to, then I would be a jock, emo, hippie, and gangster – or more simply, JOEMHIGA!

weekend madness

"OMG! Exams start in two weeks time". . . My very first reaction to that statement would be oh darn it I'm going to have to study during Halloween :(. A sad and very true fact, which is why these last few days of freedom before the extremely feared exams is a week Rhodents often take to do their last little bit of partying. Even though exams are peering their gastly head around the corner the ever so fearless Rhodent walks towards them head first with his party shoes on. Think I'm lying? Well let me give you some proof of this last weekend where there were more then 5 functions occuring on the same night.

The Friday night was a bubbling happy evening with many gracing us with their presense at the usual spots (Union,Rat, Friars), whilst others had simply made a trip down to the coast. Now don't get me wrong I really enjoy the chilled Saturday night vibes which G-Town often experiences. Many Rhodents don't come out of their dingy, little, dark rooms for many reasons but one being the fact that they are probably hung over, a symptom often experienced every Thursday and Saturady morning which tends to be followed by sleeping the whole day one of the nicer side effects of the reckless evenings. However this weekends Saturday was on of absorbing sunlight at the pool with friends and party crashing many of the functions which seemed to be happening unanomously in one evening.

What started out as a movie evening soon turned into a "lets go out we only have two weeks left before exams" night. Now my initial reaction was "no ways I'm already in my Pjs" however after giving it a second thought I decided to get dressed and mission out. And mission out we did. We went to at least 5 parties in one night.

We began our evening with a visit to union, where there was a fines evening happening, so you saw many drunk boys wodering around union and not making it further then that. Then we proceded to go to the monument where we went to the law awards evening and after a little bit of dancing we proceded to go check out the trans party which was happening outside. It is called Burning of the man where could watch things being burned in a raging, roaring and yet tamed fire. After the monument escapade we managed to catch a lift down back to campus and so we returned back to Union and when Union closed we finally made our way into Town. On New Street we ventured into The Rat and Parrot, here we met up with a few friends and then we all missioned down to Friars. Even though Friars wasn't full (mainly because everyone was so split up tonight),it was still a very fun and cool vibe wich made for a good party becausefor once u didn'thave drunk people stepping on you and bumping you but you non the less had enough people to make a party. The party however ended when our stomachs called for food and the cry was so overwhelming that only a pirates pizza could suffice.

With our party shoes warn out and our stomachs satisfied we bagan the long walk up the hill to return to our ever so lovely beds. And even though the night was over and we were brought so abruptly into Sunday, it was without a doubt, one of the most eventful weekends , not to mention Saturays I have experienced so far at Rhodes. If only exams weren't around the corner. . .

Firts Years Alcoholics. . . I Protest. . .

Even though the common assumption is that most first year Rhode’s students are alcoholics or on the verge of being alcoholics I beg to differ. I am not an alcoholic or even on the verge of being one for I don’t even touch alcohol. My best friend at Rhodes Bianca also does not drink and neither do a whole other bunch of people that I know.
So by assuming that, you are in fact stereotyping and labeling a minority group as the majority. And the fact of the matter is that just because the Rhodes first year student may on occasion enjoy a drink here and there they are not necessarily alcoholics or even close to it, but simply fun party goers looking for a drink to boost their confidence or increase their level of fun. For it is true that alcohol does indeed add that extra something to the party. Of course there will always be a few people who will over drink but that still doesn’t make them alcoholics.
An alcoholic is a person affected with alcoholism, this means that he has an addiction to the substance and can not go a day without it and I do not believe that any of my friends who do indeed consume alcohol have an addiction to it and need it for their daily survival. And even though I’ll admit that sometimes when alcohol is indeed consumed by my friends it may be over done but it doesn’t happen all the time and therefore cannot be classified as an addiction, a problem or anything close to either. Of course I am not denying that there are a few first year Rhodes’ students out there who may in fact be alcoholics or on the verge of alcoholism however that is simply the minority and not the majority which is why I believe that the statement is stereotyping and enforcing an opinion which is incorrect.
The reason why the statement that ‘most first years at Rhodes verge on being alcoholics’ caught my attention is because it is something I can relate to even though I do not drink. And the fact that I do not consume any type of alcohol is what in fact helps me relate to this topic because I find the stereotype present in my everyday life and even back home away from Rhodes. The shock which is expressed by people when they find out that I am a Rhodes student who doesn’t drink and a first year at that, is overwhelming at times. It annoys me that people automatically link Rhodes students with alcohol rather then all the other amazing things which us 'alcoholics' do on a daily bases, in between our drinking and sober moments. It is true that Rhodes’ students are in fact infamous for their parties but I think I am one example that shows that a Rhodent can have fun without alcohol. And I am not the only one for I have a whole group of friends who do not drink alcohol or do not drink a lot and still have the most amazing fun evenings out. It is more the people you party with rather then the amount of alcohol you consume which makes Rhodes the best place to party.

The joys of being politically fucking correct

There is a condition in warfare -most people know about it- it’s when a soldier’s nervous system has been stressed to it’s peak and the nervous system has (or is about to) snapped. In the First World War, this condition was known as “shellshock“. Two syllables, simple and honest. Twenty one years later we had the Second World War and the very same condition was known as “battle fatigue,” a little longer and it seems a little less harsh. If that wasn’t enough, after the Korean war that very same condition was known as “Operational Exhaustion,” and finally, after the Vietnam war that same condition was now known as “post traumatic stress disorder.”

People may wonder what this has to do with first year students, and the answer is that the effects of being obligated to being Politically Correct or using euphemisms has far reaching consequences. In my opinion, euphemisms are a travesty. In this new day and age, we as first year students are pretty much obligated to being politically correct for the sake of preserving the feelings of others. For example, we are now made to refer to old people as “senior citizens.” Is that not grotesque enough? Of course no one wants to get old but it’s a natural part of life, and by not calling someone old and instead referring to them as “senior citizens” is not going to make them any younger, it’s not going to make your life any longer, you are not prolonging your death, you are eventually going to die! Oops! Did I say die? I meant “pass away.” And we don’t have any cripples or handicapped people in the world anymore. We shipped them all away and brought back “the physically challenged.” Do people actually think that by changing the name of the condition you are actually going to somehow change the condition? To put it in comedian George Carlin’s words, “euphemisms are getting so bad that any day now we are going to be asked to refer to rape victims as unwilling sperm recipients!”

It is time for people to let go of this ideology that being politically correct is the way to go, it is just away for some people to avoid a harsh inevitable reality or for others to feel smug that they are “educated” and “liberal” for using such correct terminology. It is time to use the original words, so that war veterans’ pain will not get buried under jargon, they can get the sympathy they deserve, because really, “shellshock” has a bigger impact on people and it promotes sympathy, whilst “post traumatic stress disorder” makes them seem like retards, Oops! Did I say retard? I meant “mentally challenged.” And they are not “Home Executives” they are “house wives,” and they are not “Glass Maintenance Engineers” they are “Window Cleaners,” and please, for the love of God let’s get rid of these “canine control officers” and bring back our beloved dog catchers!

Euphemisms are a travesty, and by reverting back to original phrasing we are reverting back to the words that best describe the condition or act, not this crappy jargon that people use now to feel better about themselves.

Create Time; Create a Masterpiece

Rhodes University may be considered as one of the most liberal and artistic Universities in South Africa. This is true to a certain extent. The truth is that Rhodes offers many creative opportunities, especially to first years, but I believe that these creative opportunities are still restricting. The truth is that the Rhodes lifestyle does not allow for a student’s individual creative time as first year students are continuously swept off their feet by demanding departments, deadlines and, of course, their extra-murals.

Anybody who wishes to study one of the arts or, as they are classified at Rhodes, subjects within the humanities department has probably come under pressure from their friends and family. They want to know where a degree majoring in Drama or English will take you, apart from straight back to the classroom to live out the rest of your days teaching little brats. The students that arrive at Rhodes at the beginning of every year are usually bursting with ideas that they want to experiment with. Unfortunately these ideas are given very little time to mature into physical material.

The fictional imagination is neglected to some degree. Students are given certain creative opportunities but these are all within restrictions which the student has to conform to. Creative freedom comes when conformity is thrown out the window. Much of the focus in many of the first year arts subjects at Rhodes is on the analysis of many famous writers. Indeed this is a very important part of first year study but no time is allowed for creative writing. I believe this is an important part of academic growth. A student has to be allowed to have time to let their imagination grip them and, through the knowledge that they acquire from these major writers, develop their own style of creative writing.

Obviously this principle cannot apply to all the first year subjects but being a Drama and English student I believe that this is an aspect that should be included in both courses. The problem is, as I have mentioned, that there is very little time for a student to develop creatively in their own time. Ideas need to be nurtured and have the time to develop into creative material. Another problem is that the first year course does not challenge students the way that it should. Yes, the workload is challenging but the material is not. Creative ideas rise from problems which are then converted into challenges. It is through these challenges that new ideas are created. The fact of the matter is, as much as many first years may disagree, that first year is an easy ride. We are challenged to develop our own opinion, which is a vital skill, and debate them in tutorials but we are not taught or given a chance, for that matter, to engage with our creative, fictional imaginations.

This is extremely unfortunate because there are individuals in their first year at Rhodes that have amazing imaginations. The fictional writers of tomorrow are right here, at one of the most artistic universities in South Africa. Unfortunately they are all too busy trying to keep their heads above water, swamped with issues of politics and social difficulties, that their creative touch is taking a beat seat. Only when these boundaries are broken down and more time is given to fiction will the creative imaginations of the first year students be set free.

Smoke Rings of My Mind...Prologue

The journey’s we embark on are not a restriction of our bodies. We are not physically held down when exploring other worlds. Our minds are powerful tools that can take us on fantasy’s so real we might feel the soft touch of the lover of our dreams of feel the pain brought upon by our torturers in nightmares. Whatever it may be, our minds can make it a reality. The question lies upon whether you want what occurs in your mind to be true. As scary as it may sound, our minds are a release, and is it not in this liberation that we do what we cannot in reality…?

(CLICK ON COMIC FOR BETTER VIEWING)

Smoke Rings of My Mind...Part 1

Smoke Rings of My Mind...Part 2

Smoke Rings of My Mind...Part 3

When work comes around the corner and slaps you in the face.

Most people asume that first year is a breeze and consists mainly of parties, alcohol and free time to chill with your friends. I think many first years get a huge shock towards the middle and the end of the year. Sure first term is fun and seems somewhat tedious with easy assignments which are most likely to keep you up until 4 in the morning but at least you'll still be able to go out on Wednesday and Friday night. But when second term comes around and the whole university goes into exam mode and Grahamstown becomes like a ghost town out of a movie, you begin to feel the pressure of university. Some manage to breeze through exams, others just barely make it, and a few don't make it at all and still you come back third term ready to party without being phased of the consequences of the first terms partying. And boy do you party in third term, I mean it is almost unavoidable, you have Hall Balls and Tri-Varsity and boat races and tons of specials at all the local places we all love to hate.

Third term was quite a "kiff jol" to put it in simpler Rhodent terms. However the work load seemed to be getting larger and I wouldn't say harder but rather more tedious. But then again I suppose having Drama and journalism as your majors doesn't help you spare the little precious time you have to just relax or party. For me the fourth term has been the worst by far. The work just piles up and never ends. I even found myself spending splendid Wednesday evenings at home attempting to work , but even that was to difficult because all I felt the whole day is a blanket of exhaustion cast over me. I literally would day dream about my bed and how awesome it is to sleep. I mean with Drama rehearsals lasting up to 3 hours at times and until insane hours of the night such as 23:00 and lets not forget the work for all your other subjects.

The transission of the amount of work was so abrupt and unexpected that it literally came out of nowhere and smacked me across the chest more then the face as I kinda feel like the wind has been taken out of me. This week alone I find myself rehearsing for three drama pieces, (two of which are exams), and trying to write a 2000 word essay for History. The pressure is large and the only thing that gets me threw the busy days is the thought of how amazingly epic and awesome Friday night is going to be. . . After this week we have a few simple assignments but most of the long hours spent at the drama department will be over. I almost feel like I should have set up a sleeping bag in the theatre because I feel like I have been living there for the past two weeks. My other subjects have also been very needy this term but at least they can be done the night before they are due, well ,most of the time :P The most positive result of all this hard work (except of course the fact that i'm one step closer to my degree)is that it has taught me how to manage my time well and how to work well under pressure. I just hope that as the years drag by I don't totally lose my love for the party just because i'm to tired to dance.

Lose Da Shoes

Heads turn. Funny faces and whispering between friends; perhaps the occasional giggle here and there. The average day at Rhodes University is disturbed as snide remarks filter into the liberal community. What has caused this disturbance? Has the Grahamstown bubble been burst by a sinister influence from the outside world? Not at all, it’s just the average barefoot bungy making their way to lectures.

Rhodes University is probably one of least judging communities in the country. People are individuals, they wear what they want and say what they want and as long as it is within the boundaries of social and cultural etiquette it is accepted. Why is it then that as soon as the individual, created by this liberal society, decides to act on the primal instinct of walking around barefoot they are shunned by the rest of society? To be fair these barefoot day-walkers are not judged in malice but they are judged none the less. What amazes me is that someone could walk into a lecture in a tutu and everyone would just shrug and continue with their conversations but as soon as a barefoot brother comes on the scene they are looked at with distaste and are asked, “Where are your shoes, dude?”

These day’s people have lost the sheer sensation created by barefoot tramping, as I like to call it. Granted it is not the most glamorous name but the name is irrelevant because it is overruled by the experience. The feel of grass as it tickles the souls of our feet and the change in temperature as you walk into the shade. These are the sensations that only a few are partaking in because they have the ability to turn away from the judging eyes of society. The truth is that barefoot tramping is an extremely liberating experience. As soon as you free the souls of your feet from those damp and sweaty socks and constricting shoes, you free your soul.

Do yourself a favour. Give those All-stars a break, they have been working hard, and let those toes breathe the sweet, fresh air once more. Complete the simple, cost free, liberating experience that is frowned upon by society and join the ranks of barefoot tramps. Untie those laces, lose the shoes and free your soul.

The Amazing Adventure of Mr. Adam "Cappie" Anagnastopoulus

By: Stephen Canton


There are a large array of people that share similarities with the chronological order of Adams history. If you had to ask a large audience “Okay, raise your hands if you are a white male that lives in Zimbabwe, was educated at a socially conservative boarding school in Natal, love rugby and attend Rhodes University”, you are likely to find a bunch of guys who just perpetuate the stereotype of the “jock guy”. However, Adam has a unique sense of individualism which is quite interesting.


Adam was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Naturally, growing up in a country that was falling to pieces created enough problems, but Adam had more than that to deal with more than this. With his parents separating and many land claims placed on his house, many would think that Adam would turn out bitter and resentful, but, on the contrary he is nothing of the sort. He is outgoing and friendly, and although he has had a tough time growing up he still turned out well. The reason for this is -to put in Adams words- “Look, if you let everything wrong in your life affect you, you going to end up as one screwed up kid. Just keep your head down and have a ‘never back down’ attitude.” This “never back down attitude” has pulled Adam through so many obstacles in his life, especially when he attended Hilton College in Natal. At Hilton he faced his toughest challenges yet. Being far away from home, and having to deal with the militant like proceedings of a conservative Natal high school. Adams temperament was obviously continuously tested here, with bullying and fighting being a major problem at Hilton, Adam is very proud and will never back down from a fight, he says that “I might be an easy going guy, but if you test me I’m not going to back down…I’m no ones bitch.”


Adam is now at University at Rhodes. The Rhodes ethos is very suitable to Adams character, the people are outgoing and slightly rebellious, with the consistent tendency to go out, have a good time and to drink a lot. But aside from the most common obstacle that Rhodes imposes, the workload, Adam is also having to adapt to something else. Coming from a very socially conservative background, Adam is having slight difficulty in adapting to the many eccentricities that are at Rhodes. He is not used to homosexuality being so open and public, as well as the eccentric dress code or fashion statements that many Rhodes students show off. Although he battles to adapt to this, he is not bigoted in the slightest. “People want to do what they want, I can respect that and I have no problem with them, it’s just something that is hard to get used to.”


Adam is something of a non-conformist and has definitely defied the stereotype. He has often rebelled against higher authority like schools or parents, not adhering to many rules and restrictions placed on him. But with Adams appearance, his social life and his love for sport, many people think that Adam is just your typical jock. However Adam has a deeper nature, being very eloquent and never afraid to put across his unique point of view which challenge the normal way of thinking, Adam has definitely defied the stereotyped and shown many people that he is his own person and he is not someone that will be classified into a common clique.
And although people may think of Adam as a jock, or think of him as a stereotype, he doesn’t let it phase him, he will carry on living his life as he sees fit, and nothing that anyone says will change that. This is emphasised by his favourite quote, “only God can judge me.”


Link to Adams Facebook profile: http:///

Bianca's first year struggle

The atmosphere in my room was happy and relaxed, with soft music playing in the background. Bianca or Bee as many like to call her sat elegantly in my room dressed all in black. With one leg crossed over the other and hands over her knees, we engaged in friendly conversation.

Bianca Perry is a 19 year old girl (born 20th May 1989), who is originally from Johannesburg where she lives with her mom. She is studying journalism at Rhodes in hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist one day. When she was a young baby of only two years old she was diagnosed with cancer on her right kidney. She underwent chemo therapy for a year during which her right kidney was removed and the cancer was cured.

When asked about first year she said that she is enjoying it. “I was surprised at how well I’ve adapted because I thought I was going to miss home, but Rhodes has become like my second home,” she stated. She also went onto say that she has met many new people and made a lot of really great friends, who have contributed to the amazing experience of her first year at Rhodes. Bianca admits that when you come from a very strict and safeguarded home, such as her own, one tends to want to exploit the benefits of being without any parental boundaries. She admitted that her first semester consisted largely of going out with friends, drinking and trying to balance all of this with work. However her semester two took a somewhat dramatic turn and change of lifestyle yet again.

After experiencing sharp pain in her stomach during the June vacation, Bianca had to be rushed into hospital. Because she only has one kidney, a kidney stone had formed which was blocking her kidney and almost caused renal failure. After being in hospital for two weeks and undergoing two small operations, (one of which dealed with her kidney infection and the other removed the kidney stone) she had to return to Rhodes and face semester two. This meant that her lifestyle had to change again.

She has to watch the food she eats as she is not allowed to eat salt, wheat, chocolate and a few other things. The dramatic diet change which she has undergone has not been made easy especially since she has to be specially catered for by the dinning hall. She also has stopped drinking alcohol as that also affects her kidney badly. This however doesn’t dampen her spirit but rather urges her to concentrate more on her work and work harder than semester one. “After I received my exam results I realised I had to make a change,” she acknowledged. “So this change although unpleasant at times, does have a positive side to it,” she said.
Bianca Perry is a strong willed, hard working girl with many ambitions and motivations. She has adapted to her life at Rhodes well and has managed to grasp all her problems at the core and deal with them. Although an unpleasant change occurred in her lifestyle at Rhodes, she has managed to maneuver it and make it work to her benefit, showing that she is not only a positive and optimistic person but also a hard worker. As she left my room, she left behind a smile on my face and an optimistic and joyful feeling, which lingered in my room long after her departure

I Swear Allegiance to the Party

The room is neat apart from the un-made bed as the duvet lies in a tangled knot at the foot of the bed. I am sitting facing the notorious party animal of Centenary House, Jared Penny. Jared, a twenty year old Rhodes University student, focuses his life on one principle; having as much fun as possible and enjoying every moment for what it’s worth. Born and bred in Grahamstown one would think that there is not much to Jared’s story but as he sits back in his chair and introduces his favourite song from “Fokoffpolisiekar” on his latest Winamp playlist I realise that he is the epitome of a first year “Rhodent”.

He folds his arms, rocks back in his chair and puts his feet up on the bed and says, “I reckon Rhodes has the best student life in the country dude”. This was one of Jared’s reasons for attending Rhodes and as I can see from the look in his face he means it and is enjoying his choice more and more everyday. Jared is not the typical party animal however. He is not one to spend all of his parents’ money at the Rat and Parrot and thus continue with a total disregard to his studies. He made is own way to Rhodes as he won a bursary in a science quiz, he tells me in a very humble manner while pointing at a blue bag in the corner of the room which is labelled Sasol Science Quiz.

Jared, however, is not the type of man to linger on the past as he urges me onto the next question as he flicks his hair out of his face. I initiate the topic of first year life at Rhodes and he is quick to remind me that he enjoys the party life. He laughs and then says, “Rhodes is very accommodating for first year students”. He pauses for a moment, looking around the room and then he continues to say that the orientation programme was amazing, bursting into laughter as he completes his sentence. The easy-going atmosphere at Rhodes made it easy for him to fit in and make friends, which is an aspect of life that he honestly has no problem with.

There is very little regret that Jared has as his first year at Rhodes comes to a close. The only thing he does regret is the fact that it went too quickly. He pauses for a while fiddling with the draw-string on his hoodie and adds, “and the fact that my res is so far away”. He laughs his recognisable laugh, as it booms down the corridor, and turns back to his computer. He turns up the volume as “Untrust us” by Crystal Castles is cued in on Winamp. Suddenly he turns back to me and says, “I would have stopped partying so much and focussed on my studies”. He shrugs the confession off and continues to wear the characteristic smile that spreads across his face. This is a perfect example of how Jared lives his life; no worries, no regrets. He swiftly steers the conversation away from himself and starts to explain the story behind the hole in his sock while, once again, organising his playlist and occasionally flicking his hair out of his eyes.

Eventually after all his patience Jared urges me to the end of the interview and begins to ponder where he is going to go tonight. In true journalistic fashion I cheekily slip in a last question asking him what he would tell the first years coming to Rhodes next year. He pauses, looking at me as if the answer is obvious and says, “Live life to the fullest and don’t ever hesitate to do something you want to do”. He shrugs and laughs once more. Finally he turns to his computer, surfing through his playlist. The serenades of “Orangutang Bitch” leave the speakers and follow me as I leave his room and stroll down the corridor.

The United Nations of Michael Mokobi

Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ greeted me sincerely as I walked into his room, the venue of our interview. This set the pace for the intriguing, informative and thought provoking conversation to follow.

Michael Mokobi is a 20 year old first year student who lives in the modest town-turned-suburb of Alberton in the south of Johannesburg. Born and raised there Michael, or Mike as he prefers, has experienced life in the way he feels every man should.

Mike attended two great schools of Dinwiddie Primary and Jeppe Boys High. His leadership qualities came out as he was a prefect at both, but looking back at it now the only words Mike shared when asked to elaborate on his appointments were “that’s so strange.” He still posses his headship traits as he has been recently appointed as entertainment representative of Cullen Bowles, the residence in which he stays in.

Rhodes was a step into the wilderness for mike as the first time he set foot in Grahamstown was during O-week. He felt that a University away from home would open up new doors for him and he does not regret his decision. Mike is a man of great character even if small in physical stature. His presence will put him a head above you even though you look down to speak to him. For him, moving to Rhodes was a challenge and he wittingly admits that he “likes those things.” Rhodes has been a test to him in first year trying to balance work and a lively social life, but he has embraced this and more importantly the fact that, without parents or guardians, you are forced to LIVE life.

With his arms crossed and looking out of his bedroom window towards the hill that boarders Grahamstown, Mike told me about his family. He lives with his mother as his parents separated when he was young and on his fathers side he has two half-sisters and one half-brother. A slight lift on the right side of his mouth showed his pleasure as he spoke about his close relationship with his mom. They speak about anything and tell each other everything from “picking out underwear to picking girls.”

During his gap year in 2007 Mike learnt a lot about life. Though he didn’t travel much he found out what his ambitions were from the comfort of home and a provisional party-organiser job. “It sounds strange: took a year off to chill at home” says Mike but this was what was needed in the formulation of his view points on life. Moving to a chair opposite his bed where I was seated, Mike adjusted the right side of his glasses and sat, his face now stern yet slightly troubled. Mike’s biggest problem is the fact that there is a category called race. When I was confirming the details that I knew at the start of the interview he stopped me saying: “I’m not black, I’m a human being.” The topic was repeated when I questioned him on the struggles he has had to overcome. A major thing he has had to admit to is the fact that there are racial divides in the world. In the home that he grew up in he cannot understand how one person can hate another purely on pigmentation. He believes that people of today don’t think for themselves and that is where the problems lie.

Mike speaks with intelligence and confidence and it is very easy to get caught up in his words, forgetting the main purpose of your visit. What is left for this man is a determined attempt to be a part of the UN. He feels that they are the biggest organization that can actually do something for the world, they just need the right people and he believes that he is one of them.

Moving up from the chair and back to the window, the up-turned right side of the mouth visible again, Robbie with the up beat ‘Rock Dj’ in the background, Mike gave me his heart: “By the time I die I want to have taught people to think about their lives and question belief, till then I shall wait for my opportunity and listen to the children in the meantime.”