Mirror Miglactic

My Opinion, i don't care if you don't like it.
By: Courteney-Jade

"All first year students that claim to be ‘gay’ are just looking for attention and are in an experimental phase. It’s disgusting how they expose themselves in public. They are a shame to Rhodes and a waste to society."

Firstly, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the inebriated fools outside the union for airing their opinion on" us" ‘Confused, attention seeking gay first years’, and secondly I would like to take your close minded hypothesis and shine some light on your sheltered, homophobic, trend-driven, politically weak minded view on "us".

I am part of the OUT Rhodes com for 2009. I have been passionately active in the society and involved with all the first years who you have laid this brash claim against. I came out to my family and friends two years ago, and have not looked back since. Julia Dowejko and Nicole Menton two first years who have been together and out for three years. Kirsten Lee who been out for two years and comfortable with who she is. Calvin Soloman, a perky, popular first year who has been out for three years. These are not isolated events. If you are entirely sure and confident about your theory I implore you to step out of your comfort zone and approach a ‘gay’ first year and ask them their story.

As far as the suggestion that we are "a shame to Rhodes and a waste to society", The OUT Rhodes society is one of the biggest societies on campus, it is involved in helping many people in there struggles of being a gay and an out member of the youth, it is the biggest university "queer friendly’ society in south Africa and has recently become involved in the project Kaleidoscope, an organization for the gay, bi, curios, etc youth of south Africa. Many of the students involved in the "gay sphere" of Rhodes are involved in raising awareness, politically aware and activists, who speak out against human injustice and for those who can not. It is a common sight to see OUT Rhodes first year members at rallies and marches against the rape of woman, the discrimination of all humanity, HIV awareness and so fourth. There are gay first year students who have been accepted as presidents of other societies as well as becoming highly regarded as important and influential members of the Rhodes community.

Regarding the accusation that we "expose ourselves in public". Take a look around friars, the rat, the union, the common meeting grounds for the party people of Rhodes, look at how many "straight" people are grouping each other on the dance floor, swallowing each others tongues, grinding in appropriately to a song, or sitting on the pavement making out, where they are so drunk they can not support one another. We do not air our dirty laundry in public like you do, we do not ‘expose’ our sexuality like you do, after all with people like you in the world would we purposely aim the spotlight on ourselves so that we may get bombarded with words of discrimination?

I have witnessed numerous occasions of homophobia on campus, such as walking down the street and having ‘DYKE’ yelled out at me, once again by a drunk immature jock with his stereotypical macho crowd cheering him on. I ask you, what is the point? What do you get out of hurting other people? I do not discriminate, although when provoked I will speak out.

We have done nothing to deserve the labels that you blindly pin to us, not just the gay population but all those who are different to you. Take a moment and consider the consequences of being an arrogant, ignorant, puppet of your close minded clique, because one day you will face severe consequences. Karma is a bitch.

By Courteney-Jade Gillespie

Julia Dowejko is nineteen years old, and in first year, has achieved more than most people do in their entire university career. She grew up in Krugersdorp and attended Krugersdorp high school, where she left Matric with six distinctions. She came to Rhodes, with the same reasons that many of us have, “I wanted to get away from home and expand. I have wanted to come here since I was a tiny-winy tot and love the historic feeling of the town.”

Miss Dowejko received a Bursary in order to attend Rhodes, this Bursary is from the Mogale City municipality which pays a sum of money for her overall school fees (work and residence related). It is a no-strings-attached bursary, Miss Dowejko smiles, “ I just had to do well at the end of matric to stand a chance of getting it. The top 10 students in Mogale City (where Krugersdorp is situated in) were offered bursaries by the mayor. I just had to fill out a form and speak to the mayor and that was that.”

Miss Dowejko has always been a hard worker and obtained above excellent results, in grade eleven and twelve she received her academic colours as well as the ‘Dux Scholar Trophey’ at the end of matric. All this work and no play? Unbelievably not, Miss Dowejko finds time to compete in almost every inter-res sport that has been held this year, as well as go out with friends, attend outrhodes protests, run for fun and play table tennis… all whilst obtaining marks over 70%. Julia Explains that her time management allows her to gain balance in her stressful life, “ I work hard, really hard, then relax a lot. You need to work hard to get somewhere in this life but it is worth the ride at the end when you have gotten where you wanted to get to. Otherwise, I don’t let myself get carried away: eat a lot of good, sticky food but exercise and stay healthy; work very hard but don’t sacrifice your friends, love the person you are in love with but don’t grow dependent on them; try be as different as you can but don’t get locked up in the loony-bin, Time management. You just have to get the work done as quickly and as best you can because there’s no point in trying to relax knowing that you have got a two-thousand word essay due the next day. I try to appreciate every minute that I have free”

Among the things that make Miss Dowejko outstanding and iconic is her achievement of becoming sub-warden in Oriel House for 2009, this is a prestigious title as she is the first, first year to ever claim this title. However with this achievement she states that she has received plenty of criticism and many people claim that somehow the elections were rigged, but remains positive and happy with her well deserved accolade. “I followed the same procedure as everybody else that applied for sub-warden. I managed to get short listed after handing in an, and writing a very dramatic, application form. I somehow made it through the interview unscathed and they must have thought I was competent enough for the job. It’s an amazing feeling knowing what I’ve achieved and knowing that, despite the negative remarks I received about applying as a first- year, I made it. I’m not sure why I was chosen but I don’t really think it matter whether you are first year or not. As my warden told me, there are some Honours students who she would never even consider for the job. I suppose it just depends on who you are, not what you are.”

Miss Dowejko is an inspiration to all first years and a hero amongst her friends, and as sub-warden next year will make many reliable and honorable footsteps for all her peers to follow in.