Beating around the Bosch

with

Dear Reader,

It took me a long time to love South Africa. I was born here, bred here, never left wanting for ocean water or a walk in nature. What could’ve been a feeling of vehement patriotism turned, instead, into a state of waiting. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting in the office of the Swiss Embassy to get my ticket out (Yes, I have a Swiss passport – something I have long considered a big plus… if you know what I mean).

Days like Heritage Day, for a long time, felt to me like a facade. Out with the cursing of Eskom and government, in with the webers and coleslaw. And when the day was done, back to that application to a PR firm in London. 

But then you get days like this last Monday, when a guest speaker comes to your lecture room, red hair blazing, and says, “I go to twitter to post a photo of South Africans being adorable, because we are, and then I leave”. This guest happened to be someone who has arguably seen the worst of South Africans, and yet remains a lover of South Africa and the humans stumbling around within its borders. 

During her visit to our department, I asked Karyn Maughan, legal journalist at News24, what she thinks of her country – having stood at the frontline with the government's greatest failures sprawled at her feet, along with a host of crimes that make one question the very fibres of human nature. Her answer was that she loves her country. Within the darkest corners she has also seen the brightest lights, and while bearing the brunt of extreme aggression, has also been the receiver of overwhelming kindness. Although a deeply traumatised nation, South Africans have innate resilience and, as Maughan says, “are entering our era where we love being South African”. (Her impression of Tyla hammered the point in).

Needless to say, my Swiss passport has been collecting dust in a drawer. Too much to be done here.

Nicola Amon, newsletter editor

Visual of the Week

📸Some BTS from SMF News’ Nicola Amon:

When I first arrived at this meeting – a caucus meeting held by the electoral commission leading up to the Student Representative Council elections – I thought I was going to be really challenged for visuals. There isn’t anything interesting about a bunch of people sitting in a room talking. To make it look a little more interesting, I decided to take the photo from the perspective of the students who had gathered to listen, over the shoulder of the man sitting in front of me. I thought this would give the photo some interesting depth.

Read the story here

📚Good reads from SMF News this week📚

Slam poetry evening creates space for expression

The Spoken Collective, run by Stellenbosch University (SU) students, organised a slam poetry evening to bring creatives together. The aim of the evening was to create a safe space for people to share whatever was on their mind and heart, said Tshego Mokoena, a third year humanities student at SU. Abigail Baard spoke to the attendees. 

Final-year students’ designs shine on the runway

Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design’s final-year students showcased their final collections on 14 September. Bayanda Gumede captures the beauty of the collections with their contemporary styles, the focus on sustainability and the incorporation of culturally significant themes.

SU student leaders promote self-defence

Lara Smith recently attended Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) self-defence seminar on 29 August. Students’ safety can be easily compromised on an open campus like SU’s, according to Abongile Quthu, vice president of the SU SRC.

🎶What we’re listening to:

Word of the Week

Vivacious

[vih-VAY-shuss]

Joyful; happy, spirited; possessing a positive attitude about and enthusiasm for life; a person who lives life to the fullest.

The greatest strength of a South African is their ability to remain vivacious in the face of great challenges.