by John Vries
Taking a sip from the journ juice, makes me wonder if...
As I took a sip from I could clearly taste that it was made up of different ingredients, each one with its own taste and smell. It is easily visible from the different styles of writing that more than one person is contributing to this blog, but like with everything when there is more then one thing one is sometimes compelled to choose the one which you like the most or at least the one that is most appealing to you. I found that this blog catered for more then just the academics, because the bloggers also make use of simple language.
In their introduction they mentioned that joUrn.juiCe is will cover a variety of issues and indeed they covered a lot of issues, but I personally feel that they could have covered more issues or at least write more on the issues because they tackled it in a very vague way. I only found one entry, An exercise in creation, worth the time I spent reading this blog. The style in which it was written was very chilled yet very serious; it was a perfect blend of all the ingredients. However comparing this blog to the number 42 is purple style, wit and composure.
Generally this blog can be rated an okay blog, average, but the fact there are one too many spelling mistakes makes it easy to see that some of these post were just done to get the assignments out of the way and not to really engaged with the blog. It therefore has not added anything on the chosen blog topics or issues to my knowledge nor did it ignite any emotional reaction in me at all.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Holly bush turns to drunken head banger….
When I left home, I was thought of as a very calm, collected and conservative person. I would always think things through and act within a certain frame work, which resulted in me being the nerd and ‘holly’ one. Over the weekend things took a drastic change. I decided to use all of my allowance on alcohol and just party the whole weekend away. I went to places like Friars and Rat and Parrot where I normally don’t go and danced my heart away not missing out on a drop of alcohol. I even played the role of Santa clause and bought drinks for all my friends and drinking very expensive drinks. On Friday night I mingled with random people from my law and journalism classes, making a fool out of my self or so I think, because they now are giving me these puzzled stares. Late Friday night or should I say very early Saturday morning I had a fight with one of the guys that live in my residence. He decided it good to push me into a bush, where I laid for quite some time, scratching my face. I decided not to work or let’s rather say due the alcohol and the HUGE hangover I decided to be very productive in bed and slept the whole day, waking up in time for supper and another epic night out. I got ready to go out and spent what’s left of my allowance. As the night progressed and the drinks more I started to tango and dance all sorts of ballroom and hip-hop dances. During this process of showing off my dancing skills I banged my head against the wall, causing even more embarrassment. So basically I had an epic, awesome, scandalous time and this blog entry, stays here… if I catch anyone who talks about this or look at me funny I'll be on your case!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Bottles in Bot Gardens
by Renier Cronje
For my final Journalism and Media Studies tutorial we were given the assignment of documneting ourselves engaging in something new and completetly different to our regular everyday activities. We were told to do something adventurous and exciting as to resemble what a qualified journalist may encounter in their career. I decided that since I had never been to The Botanical Gardens in Grahamstown and being a Saturday night, why not take a bottle of something and experience it while becoming mildly intoxicated. I managed to round up to of my closest friends to join to me at dusk at the Bot Gardens equipped with two bottles of Crackling and a bottle of Old Brown Sherry. The weather forecast had said to expect late afternoon thunderstorms so I thought I would get lucky and get to experience this upon my first experience of Bot Gardens. This drinknig session was of specific value to me as It was my last night of driniking at Rhodes-I am leaving Rhodes next year and with Exams around the corner I have to buckle down and study.The afternoon light had dissappeared into darkness and we were alone in the Bot Gardens. After a cheers or two and a drinking game later, it was safe to say that we were all experiencing the glorious effects of alcohol upon the body. Being students with promiscious lives and lower morales and values than a self proclaimed prostitute, we were all going through rough patches in our lives. Before I could look again, my fairwell drinks party and Journalism assignment had turned into an “Emo, slit-my-wrists party” which found us all crying to each other and seeking salvation from the non-judgemental bottle of alcohol resting on our tear drenched lips.
For my final Journalism and Media Studies tutorial we were given the assignment of documneting ourselves engaging in something new and completetly different to our regular everyday activities. We were told to do something adventurous and exciting as to resemble what a qualified journalist may encounter in their career. I decided that since I had never been to The Botanical Gardens in Grahamstown and being a Saturday night, why not take a bottle of something and experience it while becoming mildly intoxicated. I managed to round up to of my closest friends to join to me at dusk at the Bot Gardens equipped with two bottles of Crackling and a bottle of Old Brown Sherry. The weather forecast had said to expect late afternoon thunderstorms so I thought I would get lucky and get to experience this upon my first experience of Bot Gardens. This drinknig session was of specific value to me as It was my last night of driniking at Rhodes-I am leaving Rhodes next year and with Exams around the corner I have to buckle down and study.The afternoon light had dissappeared into darkness and we were alone in the Bot Gardens. After a cheers or two and a drinking game later, it was safe to say that we were all experiencing the glorious effects of alcohol upon the body. Being students with promiscious lives and lower morales and values than a self proclaimed prostitute, we were all going through rough patches in our lives. Before I could look again, my fairwell drinks party and Journalism assignment had turned into an “Emo, slit-my-wrists party” which found us all crying to each other and seeking salvation from the non-judgemental bottle of alcohol resting on our tear drenched lips.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Market value degrees will result into a total screw up of life…. Ubuntu.
A few weeks ago a few students at the University Of The Free State decided to put their racially discriminated sick mentalities to practice. They made a film where university employees had to eat food from the floor which was urinated on, humiliated the workers in various ways. They did this to express their unhappiness of the new integration policies of the university. After what the university considers as “disciplinary action” was applied, the new black rector decided last week to withdraw all disciplinary actions against these students on the basis of racial reconciliation which is derived from the Ubuntu principles of reconciliation and not revenge.
Well, I don’t know whether the rector has his head screwed on right, because no one seems to agree on this matter with him, white, black, coloured and Indian. What does he want to reconcile and how, by dropping the disciplinary actions against these hooligans he will do exactly the opposite. All we want is justice and for those idiots who have such a sickening mentality to be excluded from societies where we are busy breeding the leaders of tomorrow and where we are shaping our lives. A few students were even quoted saying that they don’t care about the matter, as long as they get their degrees they are happy. Now my question is how you are getting your degree and what are you getting from this process, because part of being a student is learning all sorts of things from life and the people who surrounds you to equip you for the world out there. The rector goes further inviting all stake holder of the university and those who has been affected by this even called the Reitz inauguration, but then makes a statement saying “"I have huge respect for the minister, he has his opinion, I am not interested in a public spat in the media, but we will talk privately.” This made me loose even more respect for Mr Jansen and made me loose hope for any changes at the UFS or a better tomorrow. The public is the biggest stake holder of any university, because without public recognition no one will attend an educational institute and we, the public, who are supposedly spitting in the media, are the financers and future of that university. So I think that the rector should make better use of his degrees and position and his policies for change and take a cold shower, because currently they mean nothing to us the public since we mean nothing to him, even better I think we should make a film of him and those students and see who needs to be reconciled.
Therefore I feel that this whole matter should be reconsidered and the appropriate disciplinary actions should be applied with the input by all stake holders of the university and that students should make their degrees worth more than just a piece of paper.
Well, I don’t know whether the rector has his head screwed on right, because no one seems to agree on this matter with him, white, black, coloured and Indian. What does he want to reconcile and how, by dropping the disciplinary actions against these hooligans he will do exactly the opposite. All we want is justice and for those idiots who have such a sickening mentality to be excluded from societies where we are busy breeding the leaders of tomorrow and where we are shaping our lives. A few students were even quoted saying that they don’t care about the matter, as long as they get their degrees they are happy. Now my question is how you are getting your degree and what are you getting from this process, because part of being a student is learning all sorts of things from life and the people who surrounds you to equip you for the world out there. The rector goes further inviting all stake holder of the university and those who has been affected by this even called the Reitz inauguration, but then makes a statement saying “"I have huge respect for the minister, he has his opinion, I am not interested in a public spat in the media, but we will talk privately.” This made me loose even more respect for Mr Jansen and made me loose hope for any changes at the UFS or a better tomorrow. The public is the biggest stake holder of any university, because without public recognition no one will attend an educational institute and we, the public, who are supposedly spitting in the media, are the financers and future of that university. So I think that the rector should make better use of his degrees and position and his policies for change and take a cold shower, because currently they mean nothing to us the public since we mean nothing to him, even better I think we should make a film of him and those students and see who needs to be reconciled.
Therefore I feel that this whole matter should be reconsidered and the appropriate disciplinary actions should be applied with the input by all stake holders of the university and that students should make their degrees worth more than just a piece of paper.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Stereotyping Stereotypical Stereoptypes is a no no!
Living in a world where stereotypes are as common as seeing clouds in the skye, I cannot seem to understand why certain people can still judge and demean others for who they choose to be. I find the fact that a person cannot be comfortable with themselves in a "free society" disgusting. Those who judge need to be aware of the consequences of what the victim will experience. I believe that people who judge must be perfect and the only perfect being is God-and as far as I know God has never judged another living thing. Victims of stereotyping experience a range of after effects-low self-esteem; new insecurities and a poor sense of self-worth. I for one try my best to avoid judging any other human being and this has led me to live a happier life as I am able to experience an array of fresh cultures, opinions and activities I though I would never be interested in.
By Renier Cronje
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
