Beating around the Bosch

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Dear Reader,

It’s the end of August and we are tired. The kind of tired that penetrates the bones, makes one delirious – maybe even a little drunk. I am not sure if other postgraduate classes do this, but we have fallen into a terrible habit of sussing out each other’s work schedules to see if we are being productive enough – ‘What you busy with there?’, ‘How’s your thesis going?’, ‘Have you got a story yet?’. Sometimes I wonder if people feign care to determine their standing on the race track to the end. It’s rough out here. 

Postgraduate degrees leave you to your own devices, and while constant comparison isn’t the healthiest tactic, it helps us gauge if we are doing enough. It holds us accountable. But it’s important we keep things real and admit that everybody enjoys a bit of brain-mushifying. And there’s no use feeling guilty about it – if you’re going to waste time, do it properly, and come out feeling rested afterwards.

Nicola Amon, newsletter editor

Some of this year’s BA Hons Journalism students shared their procrastination tips:

Visual of the Week

📸Some BTS from SMF News’ Amy Lindstrom:

I was so excited at the opportunity to cover this event, as I knew I would be getting some really cute photos of puppies. When I arrived, the Rooiplein was packed. Everyone and their mother was trying to get ahold of a puppy. This specific photograph came from a quiet moment when a small group was gathered around a sleepy puppy. I asked the girl holding the puppy to turn its face towards me and I shot around 10 photos until the puppy made direct eye contact with the camera. The photo was definitely a class favourite, as well as a favourite amongst my dog-obsessed roommates.

Read the story here

📚Good reads from SMF News this week📚

Simonsberg raises R63 000 in annual trail run

Stellenbosch University’s Simonsberg men’s residence recently raised R63 000 in donations through an annual trail run aimed at securing funds to assist fellow residents. Kara le Roux spoke to Dylan Lee, vice-primarius of Simonsberg, on the challenging 25km run from the residence to the peak of Simonsberg mountain and back.

Paul Roos herhaal geskiedenis met onoorwonne rugbyseisoen

Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) het vir die eerste keer in 33 jaar die rugbyseisoen onoorwonne afgesluit. Mandisa Maphisa het na afloop van PRG se wedstryd teen Grey College met Corné Uys, PRG se hoofafrigter, hieroor gesels. 

Maties basketball draws record crowd for derby with UCT

Mia Oliver recently attended a basketball game between Maties and the University of Cape Town. In an interview with Lukhanyo Nkonzo, the social media manager for Maties basketball, he commented on the growing support of basketball in Stellenbosch.

🎶What we’re listening to:

Word of the Week

Torpor [TORE-pur]

~ temporary loss of the power of motion or sensation; dormant; apathy; indifference

“A 30-minute doom scroll later and a heavy torpor has descended upon me, rendering me blissfully useless.”