- Stellen-Buzz
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- One (term) to go
One (term) to go
Stellen-Buzz with SMF
September 05, 2025
Dear reader,
The official start of Spring in South Africa has been slow to unfold in Stellenbosch. The sun might be rising earlier in the mornings, but the weather has only tentatively warmed up. While we wait for the fresh green leaves to canopy on Victoria Street again, we are taking in the view of what really matters: our screens.
As the final week of our third terms is coming to a close, the BAHons Journalism class of 2025 remains properly hunkered down in front of our computers. Our desks in the newsroom have been slowly collecting souvenirs from our near permanent presence – a few open packets of rusks, an emergency nap blanket, various containers containing a number of drinks. These are all very necessary as we make our way towards completing a website and print project. A slight reprieve was offered by a fire alarm on Thursday, which forced us all to gather outside of the building for a few minutes. For many of us, it might have been the longest breath of fresh air we’ve had in a while. We were subsequently warned not to smoke on the balcony outside of the sound studio, which unfortunately muddles up multiple people’s daily routines.
Outside of class, some of us remain extremely productive. A huge congratulations goes out to our very own Lienke Norval, whose poem, pletterstop, is featured in Penseel 2024. The launch for the Afrikaans student publication took place on Wednesday evening, which celebrated the publication of the best entries of poems and short stories. According to the university website, Penseel was published for the first time by the department of Afrikaans and Dutch in 1970, and since then it has been published almost every year. Go Lienke!
Anke Spies, newsletter editor.
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The weekly rundown:
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Het jy geweet Stellenbosch het sy eie speelgoed- en miniatuurmuseum? Die museum is in 1994 deur die vorige direkteur van die Stellenbosch Museum, Marius le Roux, ingerig. Dit is volgens Deborah Gabriels, die huidige museumbestuurder. |  Deur Marise Schoonraad |
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 By Nadia Swart | A Stellenbosch University (SU) residence held on to its title and emerged as champion in the final two rounds of a recent chess competition. |
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A recent debate hosted by a Stellenbosch University (SU) society dealt with the ethics and legalities of sex work. |  By Casey-Lee Anthony |
Visuals of the week
O’ KOEK
“Anybody who knows me, knows I love cake. So, when I heard about the Cake Canteen hosting a cake picnic for women’s month, I knew I had to write about it. Cake picnics have gone crazy viral recently. EIt is an event where a whole bunch of people bring cake, typically as an entry fee, and then are given a box which to fill with slices of the other cakes that were brought. For me, it was cake heaven. 100 cakes of every shape and flavour you can imagine. My personal favourites were orange and nartjie, earl grey and lavender, and the almond croissant cake with actual tiny croissants on the cake. Bliss!”
By Annemieke Thomaidis
Get to know me!
What is your favourite song and who is your favourite artist?
I feel like I am doing a disservice to my playlist by choosing only one song, but recently Safe As Houses by aKING has been on repeat, and my favourite artist would have to be Post Malone. I listen to his music every single day and I would use my entire life savings to see him live!
What is your favourite film?
My favourite film would have to be Barbie (2023). It’s one of those films that mixes humour, nostalgia and real social commentary in a way that really stuck with me. It also influences my clothing style a lot to be honest!
What is your favourite book, and what are you currently reading?
I’d probably say The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace. It’s poetry, but it reads like a journey of survival and self-discovery, which I really connected with. At this point, however, the only things I am reading are feature articles for Stellenbosch Media Forum #savethechiefsubs
What is your favourite place you’ve ever visited and why?
My favourite place I have ever visited would have to be Tsitsikamma. It’s the perfect place to disappear into nature when you need a great escape. Just make sure to keep the baboons away from your Doritos!
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
They say never meet your heroes but I would love to meet Christiane Amanpour. I admire her not only for her fearless reporting from conflict zones but also for her unwavering commitment to truth and justice in journalism. I want to be like her when I grow up!
If you weren’t studying journalism, what would you be doing?
It has always been my dream to become a professional ballerina. I have practiced the art for 15 years and if I weren’t studying journalism, I would hopefully have benn dancing with the Cape Town City Ballet.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
Most people don’t know that I had multiple jaw surgeries in high school, so naturally soup and I had a very committed relationship.
What is your current guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is those AI glass fruit cutting videos; it’s like therapy, but cheaper and with more strawberries!
What do you do if you’re not busy working?
I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes. This year, like never before, I found out how much joy there is in feeding the people I love!
What do you want to achieve this year?
At this point, I REALLY just want my degree. But, that aside, I would love to walk out of 26 Crozier Street proud of the journalist I have become and excited for the road ahead.
What we’re watching: | What we’re listening to: |
 | Jealous Type Doja Cat  |
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