Blue Thread Issue 2 by Blue Thread - issuu
Namens die hele Blou Draad redaksie, leerders, onderwysers, en die res van die PV-familie wens ons vir al ons onnies, wat die skool verlaat, alle voorspoed en geluk op jul lewens toe. Ons PV-harte is wel baie seer om vir elkeen van julle totsiens te sĂŞ, maar ons vertou dat die Here julle sal seĂŤn met hierdie nuwe avontuur.
The planning and organising of the Matric Ball 2015 was definitely an interesting experience. When first announced, there were a few concerns about a few members on the committee, but after a few weeks of getting to know each other and having a few meetings, we knew that all the members were in the right positions and portfolios. I think that the Ball would not have been possible without our sub-committees. There were a few members on the sub-committee that we felt were part of the actual committee, as they were so committed and dedicated to helping and making this ball come together and be the best it could be. There was definitely some drama on the committee - I mean, isn't there always? We had our ups and downs, but it all came together in the end and we’re all so grateful for that. There were a few outside influences that made people sceptical of our abilities but I believe there will always be elements in the process which won’t always be accepted by the whole committee. We became very close over the few months we were busy planning for the ball. I feel like I’ve made life long friends on this committee and I have an overwhelmingly proud feeling when I think about the 3rd of October- that was the day that many of us realised how much we are actually capable of. Some advice for future Matric Ball applicants would be to know what you want in the certain portfolio you are applying for, but also be able to adapt your ideas to what the majority of your committee wants. You need to be able to make sacrifices - especially with your time. I’m not saying you won’t have a social life, but it might just be put on hold for a few weeks when the rush starts leading up to the event. You should be able to cope under immense stress and be able to make time when you don't have any - which is something I thought our committee did quite well. We were still curling our hair in the dressing room just before the first couple arrived and trying to fix little things that broke along the way. As I mentioned before, there were some disagreements between committee members, but future applicants need to realise that this will always happen. Many people often don’t have the same idea or some just believe that theirs is better than someone else’s, but the CEO should be able to take this person aside and explain to them how the majority feels and have a sort of democratic system in place. Sometimes it is for the better to go with the main idea and not to complicate things too much. But remember always - quality is better than quantity and therefore you should always make whatever you do to the best of your ability so that the Matrics can have that our committee could’ve organised our time a bit better but I think that is something the new committee will be taught from the beginning. Despite all the negative feedback I might’ve given above, I am so happy with how well we actually worked together and how great the night actually turned out. I would not change a thing, as I believe it has made me stronger as a person and I’ve learned how to handle situations in which I was put under a very negative eye. I was able to come out of that by proving myself with my abilities in my specific portfolio. I thank each and every committee member, as well as every single sub-committee member - you made me believe that it would all come together; especially with all your collecting of funds and helping us out when setting up. I am so glad to say that Matric Ball 2015 was definitely one for the books.
EMILE BOOYENS (RUGBY u/19 A TEAM)
What do you think was the highlight of the season?
I think my highlight sounds like more of a low, but I would have to say interschools against Somerset College, even though I did not get to play due to injury, the emotion the whole team and coaches showed after the game was something very special for all of us.
What is something you will always remember about your teammates?
I will always remember how we all stayed positive throughout the season no matter the circumstances.
Who would you say is the funniest or biggest prankster on the team?
We definitely had a few in our team, no matter the situation there would always be someone who cracked a joke and we always managed to have fun.
NICHOLAS LOBI (HOCKEY u/19 A TEAM)
1. What do you think was the highlight of the season?
I would have to say a huge highlight for me was when we played Paul Roos on home ground for the first time. We were a much younger team and less experienced but managed a draw even though everyone was expecting us to lose.
This team definitely focused more on the bigger games and stepped up to the plate for those games - like the Paul Roos game. Even though we might not have focused on the easier games, which might have let us down in the end, I will always remember the 100% that this team gave when it really counted and the level of commitment shown when it came to the tough games.
HEALTH & L
Vermy kitskos, vermy te veel lekkers, oefen gereeld, moenie rook nie... dit is alles wat ‘n bevoegde gesondheidsdeskundige vir jou sal sê. Ek, aan die ander kant, as ‘n minder konvensionele gesondheids-‘deskundige’, bestempel ‘n gesonde persoon as iemand wat nie afhanklik is van Sosiale Media nie. Deesdae is sosiale media, soos Facebook, so geïntegreer in ons lewens dat ons agter WiFi aan is soos wat Winnie the Pooh heuning soek, soos Dory vir Nemo soek, soos wat Simba sy pa soek… ek dink jy kry die prentjie. Facebook-verslawing is egter werklik ‘n ernstige gesondheidsrisiko. So ernstig dat daar ‘n aangewese skaal is waarop Facebook-verslawing gemeet word – die maatstaf is bekend as Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) deur Dr. Cecilie Andreassen aan die Universiteit van Bergen, Noorweë. Dit is egter baie ironies, aangesien sy self ‘n baie aktiewe Facebooker is. Dr. Andreassen en haar kollegas het ‘n reeks toetse en sosiale eksperimente op ‘n groep tieners gedoen en volgens statistiek het sosiale media - soos Facebook - ‘n slegte impak op ‘n persoon se gesondheid. Byvoorbeeld ‘n korter aandagspan, minder slaap en ‘n korter humeur – asook erge aggressie, in dié sin dat ek op ‘n afgeleë eiland wil gaan woon as ek nog EEN ENKELE Candy Crush invite kry! Facebook het egter nie net ‘n invloed op jou gesondheid nie, maar ook op jou akademiese vermoë. Volgens Dr. Mark D Griffiths, Professor van Dobbelary Studies by die Internasionale Navorsingseenheid by Nottingham Trent Universiteit in die Verenigde Koninkryk, (wow sy naam is langer as meeste mense se aandagspan - daar’s nou ‘n naam om te share), word Facebook meer dikwels gebruik deur mense met sosiale onsekerhede en wat ongemaklik is met persoonlike interaksie. Maar wie wil nou gaan hike as jy net kan like en heel aand Farmville speel. Alhoewel Facebook in sekere gevalle sleg is vir jou gesondheid, is sosiale media in die algemeen tog onvermydelik – en noodsaaklik, hoe anders gaan jy in kontak bly met tannie Gerda in Windhoek? Hoe anders gaan jy tyd laat verby gaan op die toilet? Hoe anders gaan mense weet watse heerlike #gesonde, #geenfilter middagete jy geëet het?! So terwyl jy nou tien teen een op een of ander sosiale media hierdie absolute uitstekende en uiters nuttige gesondheidswenke lees, voel gerus vry om dit te share met jou vriende en om jou status te gaan opdateer. O! En sit Facebook af en gaan leer nou, eksamen is om die draai!
OPEN STEL ...en die oorblyfsels van apartheid - SANDRA SNYMAN Ons vier vanjaar die 21ste herdenking van ons land se se eerste demokratiese verkiesing. Die einde van apartheid, die ontstaan van die nuwe Suid-Afrika, en baie mense wil glo dit beteken ook ‘n einde aan diskriminasie oor die algemeen. Dit is eenvoudig nie so nie. Oor die afgelope paar maande het ‘n groep studente en dosente met die naam Open Stellenbosch hulle stemme gelig oor hoe nie-Afrikaanssprekendes benadeel word by die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Dit was oorspronklik net ‘n gesprek oor taal, maar dit het groter kwessies van rassegelykheid en maatskaplike regverdigheid onthul. Die universiteit was vir lank ‘n hoofsaaklik Afrikaanse universiteit, maar het onlangs ‘n nuwe taalbeleid in plek gestel en vir studente belowe dat hulle enige lesing in Engels of Afrikaans sal kan bywoon. Dit is verstaanbaar dat elke dosent nie gedwing kan word om lesse tweetalig aan te bied nie, en dat die hele personeel nie kon vervang word nie, so die universiteit het ‘n alternatief aangebied: ‘n professionele fluister-tolkdiens. Met hierdie diens kan studente wat nie ‘n klas se taal verstaan nie ‘n persoonlike stel oorfone gebruik waardeur ‘n tolk die werk in hulle gekose taal sal fluister, dikwels Afrikaans na Engels. Daar is gehoop dat so ‘n diens sal help om veeltaligheid te bevorder, maar die ontvangs daarvan was nie heeltemal positief nie. Studente het gekla dat die tolke eenvoudig nie kan byhou nie, en dat die gaping tussen gespreks-Afrikaans – wat baie studente dalk kan verstaan – en akademiese Afrikaans net te groot is. Open Stellenbosch (OS) is gestig om verandering mee te bring. Op sosiale media beskryf hulle hulself as “’n groep studente en personeel wat werk om die onderdrukkende oorblyfsels van apartheid te reinig in die nastrewing van 'n ware Afrika-universiteit.” Hulle voeltaal word gebruik as ‘n instrument vir uitsluiting. Baie Afrikaners sal stry dat Maties ‘n Afrikaanse universiteit is, en dat nie-Afrikaanssprekendes ander universiteite moet bywoon. Die universiteitsbestuur het al gesê dat hulle reeds hard werk om almal te akkommodeer, maar anderskleurige studente beweer hulle is moeg daarvoor om te hoor dat hulle bevoorreg is om universiteit te kan bywoon. “Hoe is dit regverdig dat die minderheid in ‘n land die mag het om die meerderheid weg te stuur?” 62% van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se studente wit is in ‘n provinsie waar wit mense net 18% van die bevolking uitmaak. Sulke menings is uitgelig in Luister, ‘n kort dokumentêre film deur OS om die stories van anderskleurige studente te deel. Die video is op 20 Augustus op die media maatskappy Contraband Cape Town se Youtube kanaal geplaas, en is intussen al meer as 345 000 keer gekyk. 32 Studente en een dosent se belewenisse van rassevooroordeel is ingesluit. Jy kan jou voorstel hoeveel opinies in die kommentaar op die video rondgegooi word, waar daar meer as 2767 items is. Een student in die video sê dat hy nie na soveel jare van vryheid in ‘n plek kan wees waar hy moet veg om klasse by te woon waarvoor hy betaal net soos enige ander student nie.
LLENBOSCH Die OS groep word wel gekritiseer oor hulle aksies. ‘n Student wat in Luister verskyn, is raakgesien in die video van Elsenburg-studente en EFF-ondersteuners, waar hulle gewelddadig optree op die Elsenburg-kampus. In hierdie video is betogers met swepe bewapen en daar is ‘n geskree en gedreunsing soos wat mense mekaar aanval. OS-lid Mohammad Shabangu, het egter gesê dat hoewel hulle nie saamstem met die optrede by Elsenburg nie, moet dit erken word dat sulke aksies nie net vanself ontstaan nie en dat geïnstitusionaliseerde rassisme ‘n kwessie is wat aangespreek moet word. OS het ook in Julie sekere klasse vir 15 minute onderbreek met krete en liedjies, met die gedagte dat hulle kampus aktiwiteite sou ontwrig op dieselfde manier as wat hulle onderwys ontwrig is. Een student het die volgende te sê gehad: “Almal praat oor hoe sommige studente vandag ontneem is van die reg om te leer... die waarheid is dat dit elke dag op hierdie kampus gebeur wanneer studente die helfte van ‘n lesing mis omdat hulle nie die taal verstaan nie.”
Sikhulekile Duma, OS-woordvoerder, het in ‘n onderhoud verduidelik wat die groep wil hê, en dit lyk so: geen student mag gedwing word om in Afrikaans te leer nie, Engelse klasse moet beskikbaar wees vir elke kursus en die universiteit moet die oorblyfsels van apartheid erken en aktief werk om daarvan ontslae te raak. “Dekoloniseer ons onderwys” is ‘n gewilde slagspreuk by OS-optogte, en dit omsluit die veranderinge wat hulle hoop in Stellenbosch gesien sal word. Hierdie beweging ervaar ernstige teenstand, veral vanaf wit Afrikaanssprekendes. Wanneer regstellende aksie geneem moet word na ‘n lang periode van onreg, sal voorheenbevoordeelde mense dikwels voel asof hulle skielik die slagoffers van diskriminasie is. Die waarheid is dat die pad na vryheid en gelykheid nooit gelyk sal wees nie, maar dat dit wel in ons generasie se hande is om ons oë oop te maak en verandering teweeg te bring.
M U N C H I E S ''munchies''
Om‘n MaritaVanDerVyverboektebeginlees,met‘n naamsoos:‘DieOngelooflikeAvonture Van Hanna Hoekom’ vat klaar als uit jou uit, regtig. Kom, wees nou eerlik, die naam klink sovoorskools,maarhelaasisditnounetdaarwaarjydiepotgeheelenalmissit,oftenminste, ek. Hanna,diehoofkarakter,is‘n tienermeisieenleefindie21steeeu(netsoosons),maarHanna se uitgebreide familie mag dalk net groter en deurmekaarder wees as die gemiddelde gesin. Haarkunstenaar-ma,Mana,hetgesorgvirHannasebiologiesepa,wie‘n gaymodeontwerper is. Dan is daar die proefbuis-halfboetie, wat Mana tot die familie toevoeg en toe ook nog twee stiefbroers uit die huwelik met stief-akteurpa, Beyers. Hanna vier haar vyftiende verjaarsdag in ‘n hut op ‘n berg wat dien as die uitgestelde wittebrood vir Mana en Beyers. Hanna se gay pa, Gavin, daag daar op om Hanna geluk te wens met haar verjaarsdag en toe ook Beyers se eks-vrou, Margot, ‘n aktrise. Of dit nou nie genoeg was nie, breek ‘n winterstorm los en die bergpaaie is onbegaanbaar. Hanna beskou haarself as vaal en vervelig en te midde van al die gebeure en kleurvolle bydraes deur elkeen in die familie, besin Hanna kalm oor al die “hoekoms” in haar lewe en wend sy haar tot haar één groot begeerte, om te skryf. Die leser kry ook insae in haar skryfpogings waar sy ‘n hoofkarakter skep met die eksotiese naam, Fabienne, en só ontvlug sy van haar vaal bestaan. Die ongelooflike avonture van Hanna Hoekom getuig van 'n skrywer wat midde-in die alledaagse werklikheid van die moderne lewe, die gawe besit om ook potensieel negatiewe temas met balans uit te beeld. Hanna sluit haar verhaal af met: Ek gaan daardie roman skryf, maar ek gaan nie oor ‘n fabelagtig skepsel soos Fabienne skryf nie. Ek gaan ‘n storie skryf oor ‘n gemiddelde, vaal meisiekindmet‘n onwaarskynlikemaenselfsmeeronwaarskynlikepa... Endaarsugektoe baie lank en hard. HannaHoekomiseenvoudige,moderneenlekkerleesmateriaal.Diehumorisskerpenmens kan maklik met die karakters vereenselwig. Dus gee ek dit ‘n gemaklike 4 sterre:
Princess Mononoke is arguably one of the most prolific works by Japanese anime studio “Studio Ghibli” and experienced anime artist Hayao Miyazaki. If you don’t like anime, keep reading. Anime is special because any idea and dream is set free and not bound by reality. In Miyazaki’s works, Japanese religion sets the tone for a film questioning our priorities and ethics. The opening scene of the movie is of a Wild Boar “god” who has turned into a demon. After a rampage through the forest, he stumbles across a village and, in blind rage, attempts to kill the villagers. The village’s bravest warrior, Ashitaka, manages to kill it, but his flesh is cursed by the demonic growths on the boar. The curse appears to be irreversible, so Ashitaka sets out, on his capable antelope Yakkuru, to find the source of the demonic boar’s bullet wound and rage. On Ashitaka’s journey through the forest, he finds great spiritual presence in the forest, all of which is beatifully rendered by the studio’s art directors. He meets Moro, the Wolf god, accompanied by San, or Princess Mononoke, with whom he falls in love. The reason for her unnatural relationship with wolves is revealed later in the film. Ashitaka continues and arrives at Irontown, a village run by Lady Eboshi. Their huge iron smelting operation provides a dignified life to numerous women and lepers (individuals with horrid skin damage). Important themes begin to unfold. Lady Eboshi has great affection for her villagers, but they use the forest irresponsibly and unsustainably. The forest animals and gods defend it, but despise the humans. Ashitaka aims to mediate the situation and remain completely objective, as he understands the importance for humans to co-exist with nature. It is also evident that as humans gain knowledge on one matter (iron smelting & weapons manufacture), they lose knowledge on another (communication with nature). A war approaches, and it is up to Ashitaka and San to prevent total destruction — there must be a way for them to co-exist if only they didn’t always put their own interests of greed and fame first. As a film, Princess Mononoke is entertaining for children; as a story, it is extremely complex and deserves to be watched at least thrice. Its ethics are not simplified and it is deeply moving. From beginning to end it is unpredictable and immensely entertaining — honestly, my muscles were slightly tense throughout. Have since watched more than half of the studio’s other productions and the effect is much the same. Each story is unique and inspiring. All films have been dubbed by Disney with characters being voiced by Hollywood actors like Liam Neeson. Princess Mononoke is an arresting film with limitless meaning. Having received 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, it ticks all the boxes and deserves a solid:
- Eduard Zehrt
Blue Thread Issue 2