Mirror Miglactic

By: Asanda Maki

When convincing a tutor, lecturer or your fellow students about something you think twice about what to say because your English is broken. Sometime we tend not ask lecturers questions after lecture, because you are afraid they will find it difficult to understand you, your English is broken! Sometime it seems like it (your English) doesn’t want to come out. “At University welcome to the “English” the main spoken language on and off campus”. Well the have their reasons to do this in which I’m not interested in.

It may be unfamiliar for students whose English is their second language at University, because saying if you are coming from your home country or town and you were used to the idea of convincing your teachers or your fellow learners in your native language in academic terms here; its different. Because at University especially the one I’m studying at….Rhodes University, things are different and quietly unfamiliar. “You wake up and say hello in English, you go to lectures you greet everybody in English, lunch and supper you greet everyone in English, even when you are going to sleep, you have to say “goodnight” in English”…..Okay maybe I am a bit sarcastic here…but this happens and trust me I was almost get bored up until some of my friends I met were speaking my home language.

I hope I don’t sound racist, but I think English is dominating because lecturers are predominantly whites in Universities……. “Its just an opinion” I want us to look at this ridiculous statement……”it’s not a good idea to speak your own language on campus, if you are not English”. I don’t mean to be vulgar in terms of language but I’m trying to clear something some of us don’t understand. Maybe you can think I’m damn good at English, no I’m not…I just dropped it after my June examinations, actually I was advised by the Rhodes Head of Department of English to give it up because of some reasons.

At Rhodes University or in any other Universities internationally; if English is not your first language you may experience some problems when you first begin studying your first year. This is what they said to me, if English is your second language, it is not unusual for you to find it difficult at first to understand the English spoken by lectures, tutors or other students satisfactorily. That is very frustrating for me. They say you simply need time to get used to spoken English, because it’s a normal experience. You find it difficult in contributing in tutorials; maybe they may seem very daunting for you. Reading through the course material that you are expected to get through as part of the course in English. The worst and extremely daunting one is essay writing in which you are expected to write about 2000 words academic essay. Its difficult for a number of reasons. First the length (you may not have had previous experience of writing anything longer than 250 words); second the style and lastly the correct use of English language just like a native speaker is expected.

I believe that as a first year student, speaking your own language on campus is cool. They say speaking English enables you to get through what I have just mentioned above and to boost your spoken English. Yes I agree on that but I think saying it’s not a good idea to speak your own language on campus is completely a ridiculous statement that makes no sense.

Ndithetha isiXhosa (I am speaking isiXhosa) and I wish if I meet someone on campus whom I know s/he is speaking isiXhosa would do the same. “I’m tired of ama-coconut” offense but really I wish someone could speak his/her native language. I also wish that every subject I do was taught in my native language, not that I don’t understand they way I am being taught by…but I wish my son/daughter one day can be taught in proper Xhosa. It is a good idea to speak your own language on campus even if you are not English, it’s important to speak your own language too on campus.

Its 2008 for crying out loud….14 years of democracy….we can speak our own language nobody is going to laugh at us!!

By: Asanda Maki

The time was 22:30 pm and I was at Fountain Laboratory to finish my Journalism assignment which was due before midnight. I was sitting and typing, put my head phones listening to some music. This lab is one of the labs usually filled by students’ not just students but those taking in route in Extend Studies. It is one of my favourite labs at Rhodes.

Apparently I heard daunting noises….shouting and swearing. It was a group of guys in which some of them I recognised sometimes in this lab. I was extremely shocked to see that these guys were DRUNK! Some of them were acting as if they are not while other you could tell that this one has had “some”. Well it was fine there was no one to stop them; I think the security guards didn’t see them entering the labs in the condition they were in, in order to chase them. They were so irritating because they caused high levels of nose in the whole labs…shouting. I saw other female student panicking because of this unstoppable noise. They packed their stuffs and left the lab.

It was when I saw one of them taking out a “nip of Limosin Brandy” while others were holding glasses of “beer”. The lab was smelling alcohol and a disgusting smell. I was so annoyed and irritated…..”Not that I was thirsty”…..my turn passed and I had a great experience…just that this brings the memory of an experience I had in the past weekend.

Things got out of hand when this guy poured the Limosin Brandy for his friend and guess what happened next…..he drunk the rest like he was drinking a juice or water not a spirited brandy and he couldn’t hold himself he was so excited! And shouting….Voetsek! to his friends. They tried to stop him but he was drunk and uncontrollable.

Even though I am afraid of a drunken person because he can do anything to get a fight …but I was just about to go and tell the guy to keep the noise levels down because we are doing academic work…a Campus Protection Unit guard walked in. He didn’t even ask what was happening rather he saw the situation by his own eyes. He went outside I assume he went to call on other guards to come. Apparently I saw his “drunken master’s” friends trying to escape, some pretended they were sober…the CPU caught the drunkard just when him and his friends were trying to escape outside the lab entrance. Then I heard some of his friends saying he is taken to the Campus Protection Unit offices.

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 Asanda Maki

Professor Vodka

I would like to congratulate you in writing an interesting profile. When I was reading the profile you wrote about Sivuyisiwe Bridgette Ngcaba I was impressed. I have to say I like your writing style and I would also say you fitted exactly to the narrative style of many narrative scholars. In your profile article you are simple and clear about your interviewee. You followed exactly Todorov’s model of narrative by giving us an initial equilibrium- where you told us about the setting of the interview, description of your interviewee and then you told us about how Sivuyiswe grew up. Disruption- where Sivuyisiwe’s mother was strict. And finally the new equilibrium about whom the new Sivuyisiwe is at Rhodes and how she’s performing academically. You made a good analysis on Vladimir Propp’s narrative structure about the family member who is Sivuyisiwe leaving home and becoming a hero at Rhodes but her enemy villain which is excessive party and drinking is after her in destructing her life. You had a good flow in this profile the start, middle and end; nice picture too. Her mother as a helper and donor, and Rhodes as her dispatcher. It is a good profile indeed.

Link: http://www.phola101.blogspot.com

By: Courteney-Jade Gillespie
from: http://www.fourhensandacock.blogspot.com/

Who new that poetry could define a man with a moustache in such a "musical" way. I read this piece and as your words graced my eyes images and an irritating, yet entertaining tune popped into my head. I enjoy how you have used Propp's form of 'Dramatis personae' in your writing and setting Garth as the hero of the moustache men. You have included the fundamental components of narrative, such as a constant stable piece of writing whereby each idea develops logically from the previous one. You have also included the Todorov status of the equilibrium. I really enjoyed this piece. Thank you.

By Asanda

I miss the short and long breaks at my school, where we used to eat Amagwinya (vetkoeks) with pilchard fish inside them and drink irhemele (ginger beer). It costed R 1, 50 only. We would buy them from Auntie, we named her Sis’Thami the word comes from her real name Nomathamsanqa, and it was a nice lunch to have. Two “vetkoek” were enough for me and I was sorted. Her business was located next to the school entrance.

At home my mother would cook Umgqusho (samp) my favourite supper; Umphokoqo (African salad) my favourite lunch if didn’t attend school for some reasons. Those were/are my favourite meals of the day. I was lucky because she taught me how to cook, how to clean the house and numerous things to do at home.

I came at Rhodes University, it all changed, i eat at Smuts dining hall. My breakfast in which I usually unbooked is fair. Sometimes I get annoyed by different menus for lunch and supper. Today it was worse I even asked the Auntie in the kitchen if she can manage to eat the meal she gave to me. It was one fried potato and quarter leg of chicken and guess what! I was starved; my lunch didn’t go well up until exceeded and took six slices of brown bread to rescue my soul, I admit I obeyed the policy that you have to take not more than four slices of bread. I mean one piece of meat and one potato is not enough for a guy like me. Honestly sometimes I get tired of getting small amount of food whereas I payed thousands and thousands of my fees.

I am saying that I eat differently from the way I used to eat last year. But still people are recommending that I am getting fatter and fatter. A secret is….I always wait for “seconds” in the dining hall and get enough food as I can. I don’t complain I am satisfied with the food I get in this Varsity, its fair…but I promise you go out there and ask students about how they feel about their dining halls and the food they get…and wait for answers!

Oh the time is 18:25 pm its time for my Sunday supper……

By: Phetane Rapetswane



This narrative is about Mbongeni Allan Magubane, a young man who hails from Estcourt - a small town in KwaZulu-Natal about 200kms north of Durban and it is a town surrounded by the picturesque Drakensburg Mountains. When asked to describe his home town in one word he responded with a twinkle in his eye as he simply labelled his home town “Beautiful”. He further went on to describe Estcourt as a small, private town which has an aura about it”, and he takes great joy and pride in calling this town his home.



Allan is doing a BA law, a course which he is thoroughly enjoying, and he has termed his brief stint at Rhodes as “living the dream”. When quizzed about why he came chose Rhodes university, he said that he enjoyed the fact that he would be going to a prestigious university in a small town which is similar to his own town, he also chose Rhodes, because of its academic culture, and because it has a very chilled nature about it. He also mentioned with great delight that all the perceptions and reasons for him coming to Rhodes, turned out to be the right one, and so he has no regrets what so ever about joining this institution.



Allan who described him self in five words is “always trying to be Christ-like” as this is what he believes is the very foundation of what being a Christian is all about. This is of relevance, because in all he does it is his faith that keeps him going, and it is his faith that has helped him adapt to life at Rhodes in Grahamstown, which is well over a 1000kms away from where his heart always lies. He has describes his experience as Rhodes as Awesome, as he has met new people, and has enjoyed the diversity that Rhodes has, especially since KZN really only had Zulus. He said that Rhodes has taught him how to be independent, and it has taught him how to be patient, and him how to defend who he is as a person, and what he stands for, yet he keeps an open mind to growth and change if necessary.



It is this exact kind of attitude that has helped Allan take Rotaract by storm in Grahamstown, as he is now the secretary of the society in his first year which is definitely an achievement not to be scoffed at. He really enjoys helping people, and he said that Rotaract gives people the opportunity to help others whom are less fortunate than most Rhodents, especially here in Grahamstown, as this is a very poor place in the poorest province in the country, so there definitely isn’t a shortage of people to help.”


Allan believes that his character has definitely changed since he arrived at Rhodes. He believes that he has matured, and that he knows far less than what he thought he knew which has made him willing to learn, and embrace some of the change that being at this Institution brings. He feels that coming to Rhodes was a timely reminder of the fact that if he works hard, he’ll eventually reap what he sows, as he continues on his journey towards achieving greatness and even more importantly finding peace within himself.