The characteristic plastic trumpet, which has no clear origin, is said to have first appeared at soccer games in the late 1980’s, according to Philani Mabaso, communications officer for the Durban-based side AmaZula Fl.

Popularised by Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates fans, it has become a symbol synonymous with South Africa and the successful Fifa World Cup.  Despite healthcare warnings by Phonak, the hearing systems manufacturer, about its negative effect on the eardrum, the ‘vuvu’ has been predicted to be the most popular instrument at future world sporting events.

Not all in favour

According to guardian.co.uk, the ‘vuvu’ has already been banned from the running of the bulls in Pamplona, (for rather obvious reasons – I’d rather a bull in my path see red than hear a shrill trumpet blast)

Introducing myself as a South African in Europe over the vacation was extremely gratifying. Despite the fact that it normally lead to a free round of beers , it allowed me to watch South Africa from a world perspective- and see what impression Africa made on the rest of the globe.

African footie fever

Listening to British commentary during the Ghana- Uruguay match was hilarious. Far from subtle, the commentators egged Ghana on to point where they were leaping around their studio in response to foul hand balls and poor refereeing.

I have never experienced such blatant bias, or seen such passionate fervour on all sides to witness African victory.

Countless taxi cabs in London had the FIFA logo painted on them, and almost every pub was adorned with South African flags and Zakumi mascots.

The Times was the first English newspaper I opened. It had a 16 page South African supplement.

BBC presenters, using ghastly pronunciation and thick English accents would constantly ask things like: “ Do you know your Camerons from your Cameroons? Do you have your vuvuzaylas ready?”

10 000km away and watching the world cup on British ‘telly’ and big screens in Amsterdam was eye- opening. I sensed an overwhelming response from Europeans and travellers to the “African experience.”

A compelling example is the moment where a group of soccer fans in a pub applauded the closing ceremony. A new light has been shined on us, and the vuvuzela blows the chorus for South Africa on the global stage.

Words by Carina Truyts

Watch her slideshow below to get a taste of India and if you have questions about her trip or photographs of your own holiday away then contact us!

A visitor to Grahamstown, Shane Heckler was involved in a struggle with two street boys that attempted to pick pocket him on the 21^st of July.

On the way back to the guest house he was staying in, he was approached by a boy that looked around 14 years old, asking for money.

Shane ignored him and opened the gate to the guest house, the boy then attempted to enter the premises with him; luckily Shane was able to stop him.

“They were very pushy and in a way threatening as how they asked for money.”

Working in teams

Later that day, Shane noticed the same boy from earlier on jogging across New Street towards him, at the same time another boy came and asked for money. This is when Shane noticed the hand going into his back pocket.

After the scuffle Shane noticed that there was a complete absence of attention from the Grahamstown public.  He said no one stopped to look or help.

A common occurrence

He later learnt that this was not the first time this had been attempted that day, earlier a girls’ purse had also been stolen in the same street.

The Police believed that this has been happening for a while. However, police are unable to do much about the situation because it is illegal to hold someone under the age of 15, which most of these children are.

Adults are using these boys to steal and break into houses because there are no long term consequences.

Words by Cara Attewell

The Oppidan Press (inspired by the Mail & Guardian’s top 300 young people in SA) would like to recognise the 2010 Rhodes University Top 100 Students. Our aim is to recognise and build young leaders at Rhodes University. The Oppidan Press understands that the hardest part about being a leader is that no one ever pays you a compliment for a job well done, and we would like to change that!

Categories Available:

1) Academic Excellence

This category requires no applications; awards will be given to the top achieving 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th year students in each of the faculties (i.e. Commerce, Education, Humanities, Law, Pharmacy, Science). Top post-graduate achievers may be recommended for nomination by Deans in the respective faculties. By selecting the top achievers in each faculty, we award the crème de la crème of Rhodes future academics.

2) Arts, Culture and Media

This category is aimed at those students involved in the art spotlight; from performing arts to visual arts to journalism. We aim to award those who display excellence and talent, and leadership roles in their field. These are the students who paint the future for South African entertainment and media.

3) Dean of Students Leadership Awards

The DoS Award recognises leadership  as well as extraordinary extramural contributions or achievements by students, who have enriched the quality of life on the campus in more than one way,  through their leadership in their residence,  in the community, cultural activities, sport or the SRC . Always at the forefront of student concerns, organisations, and initiatives, these students are innovative, reliable, committed to their cause, and make the Rhodes motto, “Where leaders learn”, proud.

4) Community Engagement

Awarded to those students who go above and beyond their academic duties in order to improve the lives of those around them. These students are actively involved in the upliftment of the Grahamstown community, and are leaders in active involvement and positive change.

5) Sport

This category aims to award those students who not only excel on the Rhodes sports scene, but who also show leadership qualities in their chosen sport, or in the sports community as a whole. These students may be known for their sportsmanship or their skill, but all stand out as exceptional.

6) General

Specifically for those students who have not one, but many talents. These students manage to juggle several aspects of student life, excelling in each.

The Selection Process:

Students may nominate themselves or be nominated by others.

To nominate another student: one needs to write a paragraph motivating why they think that particular student needs to be recognized as part of The Rhodes University Top 100 Students. The Oppidan Press will inform the student of their nomination and if they accept it, they will have to submit their 2-page CV, motivation letter, a clear colour face photo as well as a paragraph-long profile of themselves.

OR

A student may simply nominate themselves and submit their 2-page CV, a 1-page motivation letter, a clear colour face photograph as well as a paragraph-long profile of themselves. The Oppidan Press realises that often students to not want to seem to be forward regarding their achievements and nominate themselves, but we urge you to push these concerns aside and be proud of your achievements!

Important Dates

Applications open on:

Monday, 26^th July 2010.

Applications for nominating another student closes on:

Wednesday, 18^th of August 2010 at 5pm.

Applications for self-nominations close on:

Friday, 27^th of August 2010 at 5pm.

NB: Only COMPLETED applications will be considered!

Please email applications to: top100@theoppidanpress.com

And lastly…

The Selection Committee:

Shall be made up of two representatives from The Oppidan Press. Dr de Klerk from the Deans of Student office, a representative from the SRC and staff members from various departments on campus.

Awards

The selected Rhodes University Top 100 Students will be published in a special edition of The Oppidan Press on the 7^th of October 2010. These students will be listed under the category that they are leaders in, along with a face picture and a mini profile.

The Rhodes University Top 100 Students will be invited to an award ceremony that will take place on the 14^th of October 2010, where they shall receive certificates of recognition for their achievements.

We’re all guilty of ‘creeping’ on Facebook  and thanks to recent changes on the social networking giant, it’s easier than ever before.

With Facebook constantly updating privacy settings, they have made it difficult to keep track of what you’re sharing and what you are not.

A recent New York Times article, The Web Means the End of Forgetting , highlights how your online persona can affect you in later life, including future job applications.

You can bet that before hiring a potential employee, human resources will run a Google search to check that the person that they’re hiring is not, say, a member of this page on Facebook.

Facebook brings change

When Facebook first appeared, people flocked to the site from MySpace.com because of its intense privacy settings, as only your friends saw what you shared.

Over the years, however, Facebook has been discretely changing the privacy settings, in an effort to make the site “more open and connected”, like Twitter.

This page by blogger Matt McKeon charts the evolution of Facebook’s default privacy settings, which shows the extent of the changes.

Many people who have been Facebook users for some years now have not noticed these changes, resulting in posts aimed at a private audience becoming all too public.

Sites such as Lamebook.com are a reminder that without close scrutiny of your Facebook privacy settings, you could become the laughing stock of the entire internet.

Security & free for all

Facebook has become a necessary social tool for many, and the idea of permanently deleting an account is daunting for our generation of socialites.

Although deleting your Facebook account will obviously put an end to cyber stalkers, a quick review of your settings every month is a less drastic way to ensure that your private world remains private.

One last thing to remember: you can untag yourself from a photo, but it won’t disappear.  So be careful that your Crackling-induced escapades don’t end up on this group during O-Term.

Have a look at our simple video guide below, and make sure your information is protected.

Words and video by Jonathan Hall

Scenes similar to those of the recent Soccer World Cup were relived as Rhodents donned their overalls, blew their vuvuzelas and chanted their way through the cold winter evening’s events.

Prior to the main fixture of the night, two other local games were held. Founders House beat Jan Smuts 21-0, while the Hill went down 17-0 to the Dream team.

Yet all attention focused onto the Rhodes-UCT match, with a smaller contingent of UCT supporters struggling to make themselves heard above the noisy home fans.

Play-by-play

On the field, both teams seemed evenly matched during the opening stages in a very physical encounter. The Rhodes XV then upped the tempo, managing to score a converted try and penalty going into the halftime break.

The “Babas” continued their good form into the second half which saw an entertaining brand of running rugby being played. Despite a late UCT try, the Barbarians managed three tries against their illustrious opponents, emerging 22-7 victors on the night.

The supporters remained vocal throughout the entire evening, and an enjoyable time was had by all.

“It was a great game, and the atmosphere was electric!” said Brendon Jeacocks, a local fan.

This encounter served as a good warm up game for all the players involved as the Internal Rugby League continues over the forthcoming weeks.

Words by Fabio De Dominicis

SA Tourism

When I stepped into a Diski dance class, I was prepared for humiliation. I’m no good at football, let alone a spirited and energetic dance routine derived from township footie tricks.

But I was in for a surprise: instead of tripping over my feet, the Diski steps had me feeling totally pumped and just itching to blast my vuvuzela like a mad Bafana fan.

Along with Zakumi, vuvuzelas and makarapas, the Diski dance was an iconic and uniquely South African part of the FIFA World Cup 2010.

It was choreographed by Wendy Ramokgadi, who wished to create a dance that was ‘truly South African’ and reflected the rhythmic style of our country’s football.

“When these people come to our country, let them come and feel the rhythm of Africa,” she said.

The steps are all modelled on a typical township style of football and inspired by the way children practise their skills, even without a ball.

Actions of ducking, weaving, passing and kicking the ball translate into a high-energy dance routine, often performed to Shakira’s “Waka Waka”.

The beginning

Before the World Cup, it was taught to children in schools across the country and used as a marketing tool to boost anticipation and spirit for the forthcoming tournament.

Entire stadiums got to their feet to duck, dive and dribble the Diski during Bafana’s warm-up international matches. Once the tournament was underway, dance troupes performed it on stages outside the match stadium, often inviting members of the crowd to join in.

The World Cup may be over now, but the Diski dance is just one of the cultural legacies it has left behind in South Africa, and in the hearts of foreigners who were here to experience it.

Learn it

The five major steps are the juggle, the header, the Table Mountain (holding the ball behind your head with a flat back), the Trepa (flicking the ball from the back of your neck, over your head and onto your feet) and finally, the Bridge (passing the ball from your right foot over your left and back again).

Watch this video to learn the full diski!

Words by Chelsea Geach

In this edition we have our opinion vlogger, Julien Fievez , talking about South Africa post World Cup.

Rhodes being the well-known liberal campus that it is, had an amazing line-up organized for the week.

From our first day back, the town was already ‘painted pink’ with an array of ribbons flooding every corner of our campus moulding the week to come.

Cooperation and consideration

OutRhodes worked with Sharc to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere at Café Blanca, where people could share anything on their minds. A discussion was held at Barratt for more serious issues such as ‘naming’ and ‘intolerance’ led by Sally Hunt.

On the lighter side of the week, a ‘Pink Pigeon’ film festival featuring ‘Hedwig and the angry inch’, ‘Itty Bitty Titty Comity’ and ‘I can’t think straight’ was held at the recently closed Old Gaol.

Aside from the events there was also an experience to be gained for everyone. LGBT week brought our attention to what our rainbow nation believes in: acceptance and equality in our lives.

Words by Jehan Ara Khonat

Semenya’s coach, Michael Seme admitted after the race that she had not been training one hundred percent throughout the testing by the International Association of Athletics Federations. He also disclosed that she was not entirely fit, resulting in a time of almost 10 seconds short of her national record in Berlin 2009.

This victory for Semenya is the beginning of a new and fair chapter in her athletic career.

“I am thrilled to enter the global athletics arena once again and look forward to competing with all the disputes behind me,” she said in a statement released by her lawyers.

Speculation

The University of Pretoria student was first considered over her gender during August 2009 just before the World Championships 800m final due to the teenager’s rapid improvements over the distance.

Semenya was allowed to keep her gold medal but the IAAF withdrew her participation in competitions until the results were clear. Yet the announcement was continuously delayed until only a few weeks ago.

The ANC and Winnie Mandela amongst other authority figures encouraged fellow South Africans to back their girl all the way through the saga.

Sticks and stones

But that did not stop the speculation from arousing throughout the world during the 11 months of tests.

An Australian newspaper even accused Semenya of being a hermaphrodite which created anger filled uproar in South Africa. Yet, even though the world conjured up their own explanations for the TUKS student’s unbeatable streak, the IAAF did not disclose the results which remain confidential.

Since, Caster Semenya has won her second 800m race in four days following her return to the track. She is reported to return to South Africa to continue her training for future races taking place in August this year in Europe.

Words by Lauren Flynn