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Ongoing water shortages in Grahamstown have forced many residences to implement new water saving measures, but
a lack of consistent protocol has left many confused or resentful. Photo: ASHLIEGH MAY
Leila Stein
R
hodes University held its annual HIV/Aids
Awareness Week from 18 to 22 August last term.
Organised in conjunction with the Department
of Health, Foundation for Professional Development and
the Raphael Centre, the week is advertised
as a way to get tested and know your status. While the
initiative saw approximately 1500 students and staf
get tested this year, the testing stations lacked a major
component of knowing your status: knowing what to do
about it.
Knowing your status is helpful but if you havent been
counselled you may be reckless because you lack knowl-
edge, explained Malibongwe Nqanqase, ex-counsellor at
New Start HIV/Aids testing centre in Cape Town.
Reckless behaviour is especially problematic with those
who have tested positive for HIV. Tey [the testers] dont
tell you much if you dont know anything, and if you were
positive I dont know what you would have done, explained
Georgina Edwards, who was tested at the Union lawns dur-
ing this years HIV/Aids Awareness Week.
A positive result is concerning enough for any person to
experience, but indiferent or unhelpful responses from a
tester could be disastrous. Counselling is very important. It
prepares an individual for a life lived with sexual responsi-
bility, explained Nqanqase.
Tis lack of information during the testing process is
concerning because, despite the increase in access to treat-
ment through the governments anti-retroviral treatment
(ART) programme, the Human Science Research Council
reported an increase in infection rates between 2008 and
2014. Although the report showed that more people are get-
ting tested, it also found that the knowledge on how HIV is
transmitted and prevented has lessened signifcantly in this
time period.
Te whole HIV testing process is still an in and out
procedure, explained Discovery Health evaluative tester
and former New Start tester Michele Stein. Many facilities
such as university campuses claim they just do not have the
time to do proper counselling.
Even though this quick procedure has ensured that more
people can fnd out their status in a fast and convenient
manner, it is not in line with the recommendations of HIV
testing procedures as put down by the Aids Foundation of
South Africa.
Every person who takes an HIV test must receive coun-
selling when their test results are given, regardless of the
test result, their website stated. Tis model sees counsel-
ling and testing as both a primary and secondary preven-
tion strategy, reducing risk of HIV exposure and onward
transmission.
While testing drives can sometimes be problematic, for-
mal testing facilities on university campuses follow proper
procedure. Information about HIV/Aids, where to get tested
and the importance of testing are usually given to frst years
upon their arrival. HIV/Aids testing at the Rhodes Health
Care Centre is much the same as at other South African
university centres.
Te testing session is 20 minutes long, which includes
the pre-counselling, actual testing and post counselling.
When testing an individual HIV positive it easily runs
over 20 minutes, explained Natasha Williams, HIV/Aids
Counsellor at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Universitys
(NMMU) Missionvale campus. Te same procedure is
carried out at the Rhodes Health Clinic, with students and
staf able to make appointments to be tested.
However, Williams confrmed that the same procedure
would occur in any setting at NMMU, not just within the
health care centre. Counselling is crucial with all testing
procedures. Even during outdoor campaigns we would h
ave group counselling sessions before testing, she said.
No student will have testing done without any prior
counselling.
HIV/Aids testing protocol not followed
Despite the importance of HIV/Aids testing in South Africa, many students feel
the counselling procedure is inadequate and that they are not treated in ac-
cordance with Aid Foundation of South Africa regulations. Image: SOURCED
schemes. Te frst of these is that the schemes are
only accepted by one doctor in Grahamstown,
who is situated at the Colcade complex at the end
of High Street.
It is ridiculous to expect all international stu-
dents to have access to health care when only one
doctor takes the medical aid, said Tanya Ross, an
international student from Zimbabwe.
Te University does acknowledge that this is
a common complaint from students but it is not
something that they are able to change. Because
these minimal coverages are hospital plans, not
all the doctors in Grahamstown accept them,
explained Prinsloo.
Here the second issue arises: cost over cover-
age. Te minimal health care coverage costs
range from R3450 per year to R3490 per year. As
students choose to add benefts, the cost per year
goes up in order to pay for these services. Most
students opt for the minimal coverage to save
money, said Prinsloo.
Tis attempt to save money results in them not
being covered for certain incidents and ultimately
students might end up having to pay for medical
treatment they did not foresee or thought that
they were covered for. What is covered or what
is not covered is always problematic, said Stein.
People always think that they are covered for
things that they are not no matter what the
scheme.
Although the University is attempting to make
the system as painless and simple as possible for
international students, it appears that there is an
issue of clarity with regards to which medical aids
are allowed and what each choice realistically
means for the students.
Politics
4 Te Oppidan Press 8 October 2014
Mikaela Erskog
Review: Revolution at Point Zero:
Housework, Reproduction and Feminist
Struggles by Silvia Federici (2012)
With feminism becoming increasingly
visible in recent popular debates, public
discourse and mainstream media, Silvia
Federicis Revolution at Point Zero: House-
work, Reproduction and Feminist Struggles
(2012) is a text that newly-proclaimed
feminist advocates and critics alike would
beneft from reading.
While the likes of Beyonc, Taylor Swif
and Emma Stone might have planted the
seed of feminism in the consciousness of a
wider global audience and brought the con-
versation to previously indiferent groups,
their particular conceptions of the feminist
are ofen read in isolation from the historical
weight of international feminist movements.
Revolution at Point Zero provides a much
needed contextual and conceptual frame-
work within which feminist struggles can be
understood.
In this compilation of over 40 years of
work, Federici explores old and new feminist
thought and action in an attempt to consider
what feminism has meant in the past and
present and what it could mean in the future.
Drawing from a variety of feminist tradi-
tions, Federici considers central areas around
which feminist struggles were built - such as
housework, reproduction and sexuality.
Inspired by Egyptian feminist Nawal El
Saadawis seminal text Women at Point Zero
(1975), Federicis work sees that all feminist
struggles emanate from point zero: Te
moment in which all illusions are gone
the realisation that there is no justice in the
world of the protagonist. Yet at the same
time it is also the moment of realisation, of
consciousness rising, of becoming aware that
in fact the present state of being has to be
radically changed. Tat there has to [be] a
revolutionary transformation.
Federicis considerations of point zero
illuminate not only the problematic dimen-
sions of womens existence but also estab-
lish the need to conceptualise the feminist
struggle in revolutionary terms. Pointing to
gendered inequalities that result from the
oppressive functioning of the global capital-
ist order, Federicis book describes how the
practices of women refect ofen implicit and
depoliticised power dynamics cultivated by
capitalisms exploitative bottom-line.
Federicis book makes apparent the way in
which activities within the depoliticised,
marginalised private spaces that women
inhabit refect, build and enforce public (po-
litical) conceptions, institutions and relations
of patriarchal, capitalist power.
A lucid and engaging political document,
Revolution at Point Zero should be in any
critical thinkers library.
Fezi Mthonti
Review: Memoirs of a Born Free by Malaika
wa Azania (2014)
Written as a letter to the African Na-
tional Congress, Malaika wa Azanias
book Memoirs of a Born Free underpins
the many pitfalls in our national con-
sciousness that have been glazed over by
South African politicians and have been
superfcially recast as a good story to
tell through an intimate and personal
biography.
Hers is a story that points to the many
fssures in the multiracialism rhetoric that
is so prominent in the Desmond Tutu-spon-
sored Rainbow Nation discourse. With her
experiences of racism, classism and sexism
being so discordant with the supposedly
harmonious post-democratic South Africa,
wa Azania lets us into the awkwardness of
dancing to the rhythm-less tune of freedom
while the songs of an unfnished revolution
are echoed in the multiple inequalities in
our country. She points to the fact that in
the midst of that euphoric moment in which
South Africans proclaimed their freedom,
the conception of a land for all who lived in
it was lost in the commotion.
In positioning herself as protagonist,
wa Azania is able to speak to some of the
socio-political problems that afict this
country through an honest and searing
refection of her own life. Tis enables her
to problematise and disrupt this concep-
tion of a born free generation. In writing
her memoirs, wa Azania is making a critical
intervention by foregrounding the story of
a black female who has been systematically
dispossessed and othered and in so doing is
able to stake a claim in the archival process-
es of South African historiography.
Coloured by contradiction and paradox,
Memoirs of a Born Free is intrinsically hu-
man. It is a story about how the personal is
inadvertently political: born Malaika Mahl-
atsi and projecting herself onto the world as
wa Azania, this is a story of a woman who
has embodied her call for a country that is
not yet on the horizon. A country that can
and should still be fought for.
Tarryn de Kock
Review: From Foreign Natives to Native
Foreigners by Michael Neocosmos (2010)
Xenophobia is a topic that has remained in
the South African psyche following the out-
burst of xenophobic violence in the coun-
trys townships and cities in 2008. Ofen it
is reduced to a random event, or a failure of
the government to provide for its citizens to
the point that they felt threatened and act
out against the most obvious threat to their
survival the outsider.
Avoiding such a reductionist discussion of
South African politics, From Foreign Natives
to Native Foreigners tracks the rise of xeno-
phobia in South Africa from the late colonial
period to the apartheid and post-1994 eras.
Trough a discussion of the history of the
South African state and the false dichotomy
created between urban and rural spaces,
Neocosmos shows how violent political at-
titudes have been transmitted, managed and
mobilised by the state as well as how these
have corresponded with, infuenced and
legitimised the patterns of thought of people
on the ground.
One of his most important arguments is
that while South Africans would be mis-
taken to believe in the exceptionalism of our
countrys story, the attitude of exceptionalism
deployed at both a state and societal level
has contributed to the development and
continuation of xenophobic ideas even
afer the end of apartheid.
Understanding xenophobia is necessary
to understanding how South Africa has
positioned itself in relation to the rest of the
continent, and also how its internal politics
have recreated antagonistic ideas about out-
siders due to the insecurity of South African
citizenship itself.
Rather than making xenophobia some-
thing only experienced in more economical-
ly desperate sectors of society, From Foreign
Natives provides an exceptional, insightful
and comprehensive look at how Fortress
South Africa has tried to keep outsiders
out even while trying to manage the con-
tradictions of a racially and economically
fractured society.
This is from the politics desk
We take a look at three books covering contemporary political issues
Politics
8 October 2014 Te Oppidan Press 5
Ashleigh Dean
C
onversations about race
and gender ofen feature
the familiar catchphrase
check your privilege. Although
privilege of all forms is glaringly
obvious to some, particularly those
lacking privileges, many people
remain oblivious to how privilege
operates in society. Tis is ofen
because it works in unseen ways.
According to Politics lecturer
Siphokazi Magadla, it is the privi-
leged members of society that ofen
have control over language and
monopoly over the constructions
used to express ideas about people.
In response to incidents such as the
recent blackface scandals, Magadla
explained that although these events
were intended as a joke, they have
serious racist implications and it is
up to the same white people that can
aford to be silent to educate others
on the implications of their racism.
When a black person dresses as
or similarly to a white person, they
are seen as more respectable, due
the rewards associated with white-
ness, explained Magadla. However,
a white person dressing as a black
person is derogatory due to the
representation of centuries of insti-
tutionalised racism and systematic
dehumanisation.
Because of the trajectory of global
history, whiteness is still associated
with respectability, dignity and
civilisation, making it necessary
for people to assimilate in order
to beneft from social and political
systems that are organised according
to white normativity. Tis includes
things as personal as standards of
beauty. As a result of these kinds of
pressures, Magadla explained that
black people having to educate white
people about racism is a kind of vio-
lence akin to that of women having
to educate men about feminism.
Academic Alison Bailey consid-
ers privilege to be unearned assets
conferred systematically. In this
light, South Africas history shows
that the allocation of privilege has
been institutionally biased in favour
of white people; meaning that even
if people consider themselves to not
have very much materially, they still
have access to particular social re-
sources, including the assumptions
that have been made and perpetu-
ated about specifc race groups and
their behaviours.
South Africas political landscape
is such that asking people to interro-
gate their positions of privilege ofen
requires a personal refection on
the intersections of race, economic
position and spatial location, and
how these contribute to perpetuat-
ing patterns of privilege and the
benefts of belonging to a particular
social group.
Te power of white values has
had a marked impact on our history,
meaning that we need to accept the
existence of privileges relating to be-
ing white and assimilating to white
culture such as speaking a certain
way that have continued even afer
apartheid. It also means that being
educated represents belonging to an-
other kind of social elite because of
the way education has been denied
to the majority of the population,
meaning that even black academics
have to be careful who they try to
speak for and for what purpose.
People must understand that
there are some things that are just
not right, and who is always having
to forgive and be understanding
says a lot about where privilege is
located, said Magadla.
Check your privilege:
starting the conversation
Bradley Bense
Ofce of the Presidency
L
ast week Grace Moyo and I travelled to Cape Town
as the Rhodes University delegation to take part in
the drafing of a fnal document to be presented to
Higher Education South Africa and Department of High-
er Education Training, Parliament and all Post School
and Higher Education institutions in South Africa. Te
document is to be known as the South African Student
Rights Charter.
A Charter is a written grant by the sovereign or legisla-
tive power of a country, by which a body such as a borough,
company or university is created or its rights and privileges
defned. Within the United Nations (UN) enforcement
mechanisms on womens rights, there are diferent catego-
ries including charter-based mechanisms, such as the UN
Commission on the Status of Women. Te Freedom Charter
adopted at the Congress of the People in Kliptown on 26
June 1955 within the context of apartheid South Africa
declared that South Africa belongs to all those who live in
it, be it black and white, no government can justify claim on
authority unless it is based on the will of all people. It was
further stated that only a democratic state based on the will
of all the people can secure to all their birthright without
distinction of colour, race, sex or belief .
In light of the above and within the context of South
African Higher Education, having a Student Rights Charter
is a positive development. Although it is not legally enforce-
able in the present day, the Freedom Charters ideals against
racial, sexual or religious discrimination are embedded in
the Constitution. It is argued that although the Students
Rights Charter may not be directly enforceable against
Higher Education Institutions (HEI) or the Department of
Higher Education, the document must represent the true
aspirations of students in South Africa. Te document must
make history by recording the voices of students within the
context of transformation of higher education through a
student lens.
It is further argued that most of the rights mentioned in
the Charter fall within the ambit of socio-economic rights
mentioned in the Constitution. To promote the rights to
adequate housing, access to water, healthcare, food and
security, the Constitution obliges that the state must take
reasonable measures within its available resources to
achieve the progressive realisation of these rights. Te
Students Rights Charter cannot unreasonably expect the
HEIs to provide free services where there is unavailability
of resources. It must inform the current Higher Education
policy framework that there is need for students rights to be
enforced progressively within reasonable time frames.
Te draf document was found to be redundant in many
cases. Because of this, the Rhodes University SRC redrafed
the document to assist in creating a diferent perspective for
critical engagement.
In a memorandum sent to the steering committee, it was
stated by our institution that: Te Rhodes SRC does not
agree with any clauses around deadlocks and voting rights.
Tere must be consensus if there should be any adoption of
a document that is representative of all Institutions of High-
er Education. Tis charter should be written and adopted in
the spirit of representing students rather than any political
agendas. We must assume full consensus. All FET colleges
must be given opportunity for fair comment. Te Rhodes
SRC are advocating that proof be given (minutes of Student
Parliament/Institutional Forum/Council/SRC) of the discus-
sion of the document to ratify all suggestions.
Should there be any evident non-student agendas, the
Rhodes SRC will reconsider signing the charter.
Te conference was attended by 10 University SRCs, four
Further Education and Training Colleges, the South African
Union of Students and the South African Further Educa-
tion Training Student Association. Te Rhodes Document
was the only submission received. Te fnal document was
mainly adapted from our submission and key points were
made against rights to violent protest, fee standardisation,
demographic access as well as institutional culture.
This is from the politics desk
Soon-to-be former SRC president, Bradley Bense, gives his exiting speech at this years SRC inauguration. Bense recently
travelled to Cape Town to help in drafting the South African Student Rights Charter. Photo: VUYELWA MFEKA
The document must make
history by recording the
voices of students within the
context of transformation of
higher education through
a student lens.
While many student societies seem to focus almost exclusively on drinking and parties, there are more intellectual op-
portunities available to students. Photo: KELLAN BOTHA
Across the world, the month of October has been a month of strong politi-
cal signifcance. Despite the fact that we are a week into the month, people
around the globe have already witnessed the Occupy Hong Kong move-
ment unfurl as the people of Hong Kong demand their right to self-deter-
mination and democracy. Te presently non-violent protests have been
universally commended as an example of successful non-violent politics, as
the people of Hong Kong have engaged with the authorities in an untradi-
tionally polite and civil manner.
Tese non-violent interactions in Hong Kong can be seen as a dispersal of
the discourse surrounding protest movements where participants are tradi-
tionally seen as criminal and civically disobedient. However, Chinas reneging
on its promise of truly democratic elections for Hong Kong in 2017 can be
seen as a politically, socially and economically-charged act that could have
unforeseen global consequences.
Te West African region continues in its struggle against the deadliest Ebola
virus epidemic in history. At present, Ebola has spread to the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone, with
reported death tolls going up to 3000 in the region. Te case of an Ameri-
can man getting infected with Ebola spread unprecedented panic across the
Western world, with many countries questioning the safety and security of
their citizens in these Ebola-ridden states. Tis response has once again raised
questions about the hypocritical nature of international relations; where the
value of life in developing countries is still clearly not considered as important
as life in developed countries. Tere seems to be no realistic solution to the
Ebola outbreak, as many states in West Africa simply do not have the adequate
resources to tackle the virus fully. Te non-committal nature of foreign aid
into West Africa continues to delay the treatment process.
October also serves as one of the busiest times at Te Oppidan Press as we
not only welcome our new editorial, managerial and OppiTv teams for 2015,
but also take the time to celebrate some of Rhodes Universitys hardest workers
and brightest students. Te Investec Top 100 edition is a moment for Te Op-
pidan Press to acknowledge the rewarding feeling that comes with hard work
and commitment, for some of our best students. We would like to extend our
sincerest thanks to Investec, the Careers Centre and the Director of Student
Afairs ofce for their support and encouragement of this process.
Te Top 100 edition features 16-pages of content from our outgoing and
incoming teams. One can expect to fnd work discussing protest art and its rel-
evance in 2014, an increase in environmentally-focused student participation,
and the Rhodes Soccer Womens First Teams struggle to keep their coach from
being fred. In addition to this, we take a moment to celebrate some of Rhodes
best students with the Top 100 insert, where their achievements are more than
deserving of this prestigious award.
Opinion
8 October 2014 Te Oppidan Press 9
Ben Rule
A
point was made to me by a good friend some time ago
why do we refer to it as normal or ordinary tea? Rather
the correct term is Ceylon tea. Somehow our language
has made that the normal option, to the point where we consider
the types of tea to be normal, rooibos, Earl Grey, chai tea or
whatever other strange-favoured nonsense foats your breakfast.
Tis is an established classifcation which is so embedded in our
normality that we do not think about it. Let us think.
Ceylon tea is normal. Rooibos tea is not Ceylon tea. Terefore
rooibos tea is not normal. Tis is rather bizarre, considering that
Ceylon tea is from Sri Lanka and rooibos is indigenous to the
Western Cape. Why is the South African tea not normal? In addi-
tion to this, none of the other types of tea are normal. We are at a
point where Ceylon tea has almost achieved a hegemonic domina-
tion over the word tea. Any other type must be specifed; otherwise
Ceylon will be assumed where the word tea is used. Tis is not
a storm in a teacup, it is merely an interesting thought. But it is a
thought whose logic applies to another set of names much closer
to home.
Unless your belief system requires from you a special diet, your
meals when you arrive at Rhodes are automatically booked as being
the meal option labelled default. Tis is the diet assumed of all of
us. Tis is normal. Ordinary. Standard. Regular. Given that the con-
tent of this set of meals doesnt lend itself to an accurate interpreta-
tion of what is normal, one can just as easily establish what is not
normal by looking at all of the other options. Tese are as follows:
African: Tis meal seldom comes with vegetables. Its emphasis is
on meat. Why would they call this African? African: meaning peo-
ple of the African continent. Considering all of the meal options
below, that interpretation can be refned. African, meaning black
people. Tis seems to be who the meal was designed for.
Te consequence of the naming: African is not default. African
is not normal. Black is not normal.
Hindu/Halaal: Prepared in the appropriate manner so as to
comply with the requirements set out by Hindu and Islamic law.
Not as generalising or controversial as the other names, but simply
a meal designed to cater for any Hindu or Muslim students in the
residence system.
Te consequence of the naming: Hindu/Halaal is not default.
Hindu/Halaal is not normal. Hinduism is not normal. Islam is
not normal.
Vegetarian: implies that those who, for whatever reason, refuse
to eat meat as part of their diet are not normal.
Te other options names carry similar implications with them.
Health Platter implies that people who pay attention to their diet
and health are not normal; all of the various Fast Food options
imply that people who do not like vegetables are not normal. All
of this has been caused by simply having a meal option which is
labelled default if the naming of that meal was diferent, then
the names of the rest of them would no longer be a comment on
the deviation of certain groups from this perceived normality.
Tis is probably a storm in a teacup. We are not being racially
profled by our dining hall meal bookings. Tey are not segregat-
ing us. Tis is simply a system which is designed to deal with the
diversity of the student body.
However the point that is raised here is legitimate. Tere has
long been scholarship about the efects of prejudices inherent in
our language. As it stands, the English language is subtly racist,
sexist, size-ist and ageist, at least. By having our dining hall meal
names run a commentary on what is not normal on this campus,
we are subtly perpetuating an idea of normal. And we wonder why
the still-dominant identity and perception of the Rhodes student
is one of a white, excessively drinking, overall-wearing, politically
apathetic Humanities student.
Being judged by our meal bookings
The names of meal options highlight the diference and other-
ness of these meals from the default option, represented in
some dining halls by a colourful array of meal-tokens.
Photo: SHEILA DAVID
The Oppidan Press
is hiring
...and we want you!
We hope to hear from you!
We are looking for candidates to fll editorial and managerial
positions on our team for 2015.
The vacancies arise as a result of our normal terms of service
coming to a close and we are looking for talented individuals
from within our team and beyond to apply.
The available positions are as follows:
Editorial Managerial
Business Editor Community Engagement Ofcer
Chief Sub-Editor (Online) Financial Manager
Designers Marketing Manager
Sub-Editors Managing Editor
Appicants must submit a CV and a short motivational letter
to editor@oppidanpress.com before midnight on 12 October
2014.
They will then be scheduled for an interview on one of the
evenings the following week between 6pm and 8pm.
Successful candidates will be notifed by email and will be
expected a full year term which will include a shadow period
under the current person in their particular position.
Scitech
10 Te Oppidan Press 8 October 2014
Getting into game development
Bradley Prior
M
any video game enthusiasts would
consider game development to be
their dream job because they could
help create the very thing that they themselves
love to be immersed in. While many may be-
lieve that the opportunities aforded by this line
of work are limited, especially in South Africa,
there are actually many opportunities available
in the industry - starting at Rhodes.
For Rhodes students there is GameDev, a sub-
set of the Rhodes University Computer Users So-
ciety (RUCUS), which is focused purely on game
development. It is chaired by David Yates and is
designed to allow members to test the boundaries
of their game development.
Tey have recently been working on creating a
card game similar to those such as Hearthstone
and Magic: Te Gathering. However, instead of
fghting fctitious creatures to win, the players
aim to win the game by earning their degrees.
Te developers of GameDev are mostly Com-
puter Science majors and Yates believes that being
a part of this project greatly prepares them for a
future in game development. I think developing
a game like this will give people very valuable
experience in working on a largish-scale sofware
project in a team, he explained.
And the opportunities for game develop-
ment in South Africa are blossoming as the feld
becomes more popular. According to a study
Synapp: Meaningful
online communication
Bracken Lee-Rudolph
T
he SRC is an organisation
which sometimes struggles to
gauge student interest, despite
existing to serve the student body.
Some attribute this to a lack of inter-
est from the student body itself, but
it may be that the SRC does not have
a proper platform to engage with stu-
dents. Te new Synapp project aims
to remedy this.
Led by Politics Masters student
James Danielsen, Synapp is a platform
which seeks to encourage students to
engage in the online sphere on eve-
ryday issues like the transport debate
and the now-past SRC elections. Te
platform will also eventually expand
into education in an efort to enhance
students academic skills.
Chief among these skills will be
to assist students in improving their
academic numeracy and literacy. In
order to do this, it is argued [that] we
frst need to create a cycle of sustained
dialogue and engagement among...
students themselves and... between the
students and the university institution,
explained Danielsen.
Synapps 2014 aims are simply to
get feedback on their system and its
approach to issues on campus as well
as the sites functionality. Teir 2015
aims are signifcantly more ambitious,
especially with regard to the SRC. We
want a fully functional platform that
allows students to discuss, debate,
vote, play, argue, share and learn, said
Danielsen. We want such a platform
to generate a large pool of potential
[SRC] candidates, long before the of-
fcial nominations begin.
We want to allow students a clear
line of communication between
themselves and the SRC, continued
Danielsen. [Tis will ensure] that
the highlighting of issues and the
implementation of solutions becomes a
student-driven process.
Te groups reason for placing
emphasis on student involvement is
to improve the standard of response
possible from the SRC. Quorum the
minimum student voting required in
SRC elections sits at 33.3%, a total
which Synapps developers think is
concerning given that it means that
two-thirds of students needs could
potentially go unaddressed.
Tey hope to improve this through
a close link with Rhodes systems,
specifcally RUConnected. Users are
required to sign in to Synapp with
Rhodes Single Sign-In login, which
allows Synapp to track that the service
is being used exclusively by students.
Tis will allow for more detailed data
interpretation later into development,
as developers will be able to analyse
the groups using their service and
determine which demographics they
will need to appeal to.
Whether Synapp succeeds or fails
will be determined by how successful
it is in achieving its aim of emulating
several existing networks and engaging
students. However, it is an ambitious
project, the success of which could
ofer a huge boost to communication
between the SRC and the student body.
Bracken Lee-Rudolph
Livestreaming refers to the act of
capturing a video, be it recorded
from a camera or duplicated from
a screen, and broadcasting it live
to viewers over the internet. It
difers from the traditional flm-
ing of YouTube videos in that it
is broadcast without any editing
immediately afer being captured.
As the availability of high-speed
broadband expands, this online
sharing system is rapidly gaining
traction in South Africa.
Tis process has become espe-
cially popular within the video
gaming community, where Twitch.tv
has allowed users to broadcast their
gameplay online. Twitch is usable on
any current generation platform, in-
cluding PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Additionally, personal computers al-
low the use of third-party recording
sofware to capture in-game footage.
One of the most novel uses of this
service is Twitch Plays Pokmon
(TPP). TPP is an interactive stream
which allows viewers to issue com-
mands in the game chat, which are
then picked up by a program and
implemented in-game.
Te project started with Pokmon
Red, which took the Twitch com-
munity over 16 days of continuous
gameplay to complete. Te stream
received a total of 55 million views
throughout the playthrough of
Pokmon Red, and 1.16 million of
those viewers directly participated
in the game.
Although gaming has been one
of the frst industries to embrace
the concept, livestreaming is not
limited to video games. Tis is best
shown in the broadcasts of sports
events. Te Superbowl, an interna-
tionally broadcast American football
event, recently received a viewership
of three million unique viewers
via livestream services.
Streaming has also allowed
classical distribution methods to be
somewhat augmented by the digital
services.
Services such as Netfix (an online
television and movie distributor)
and CrunchyRoll (an online anim
service) provide an alternative to
traditionally licensed television and
YouTube culture. Tese services
allow you to pay a subscription fee
to gain access to libraries of licensed
series and flms which you can
download or watch online.
Tese services provide an
alternative to services like DSTV
and provide content tailored more
to your personal choice, since
you can choose what you want to
watch more easily. While Netfix
has not ofcially been launched in
South Africa to date, it is possible
to use alternative methods to get it
working afer which it will work
perfectly well.
Streaming is not a perfect concept
yet, but it is a largely expense-free
form of entertainment once you
have the infrastructure set up to use
it. With streams increasing drastical-
ly in size annually, the live entertain-
ment and reality TV industry may
one day make way for the live online
stream community.
Livestreaming is fast becoming a new and inexpensive
method of watching videos as an alternative to You-
Tube and television. Photo: SHEILA DAVID
Beyond YouTube:
Streaming culture
Mike Irwin,
2007 President of
the Athletics Club