Rhodes, is by most accounts a small, ‘safe’ community. Much safer then the big cities that some of us hail from, such as Jo’burg: ‘Gangers Paradise’ or Cape Town: ‘Your Mother City’…Right?
No Wrong….

It seems we as students have settled into a false sense of security, where we think “Well, it won’t happen to me”. Snap out of it, apparently we’ve forgotten that Grahamstown is a town, with the same dangers and possibilities as other South African cities. We all gasp in horror at the recent reports of student’s being mugged near campus and our blood runs cold when our fellow students are assaulted, yet within 10 minutes we’re back to planning the night out. In many cases there is absolutely nothing a victim can do to avoid an attack, however, some of us act as though we have some immunity to these horrific experiences.



Here are a few tips:



1. Stop driving drunk! CPU can’t protect you from the police and you do not want to spend a night in Grahamstown prison with real bad guys.



2. If you’re walking, especially at night, try walking as close to campus SOS buttons as possible and if you’re alone ask a CPU guard (nicely) to walk with you. CPU are a blessing, don’t hesitate. Visit their homepage here.



3. Don’t wonder between Union, Equilibrium, the Rat and Friars aimlessly. Choose a destination and get there quick, preferably not alone.



4. I know people don’t feel the need to tell their friends where their going, like they had to tell their mommy’s, but it’s not a bad idea. If you’re going away or even leaving a group of people to go somewhere alone, just let someone know.



Now, for those of us that put ourselves and others in direct danger;



5. Condoms are not ornaments, you can find them around campus, don’t let laziness put your health or anyone else’s at risk.



6. Just because a drink is free, doesn’t mean you should drink it, try getting drinks that you can see haven’t been tampered with. The drink really isn’t worth the possible consequences.
7. Remember, you don’t know everyone at Rhodes, you should be as cautious of people here as you are everywhere else. People rarely turn out to be what you expected.



8. Lock your doors!!! If you’re in digs, remember Grahamstown has thieves and bad guys too, and for those in res, locking your door when you visit your neighbor might sound ridiculous, but you don’t know who’s walking around.

'SisVic'

Just a few days after the renaming of the Student Union building to the Stephen Bantu Biko building, campus awoke one day, to find that one of the pictures had been vandalised.

It is no secret that it is mostly the white students who hang out at the Union. It is a sad, sad truth that it has been over 30 years since Biko's passing and it seems we are still struggling to find common ground.

Most of us assumed that the student who smashed the picture was a drunk white student, angry that the name had been 'imposed' on him and his kind. We assumed that this was an act based on race. An act of anger.

Afront, SisVic, Dave and Hippychick, however, would like to beleive that Biko can still unite us, that there is something we can all take from what the man stood for.

That, is essentially, the basis of our comic; that in our search for commong ground, neither need compromise their world. Thandi can remain as black as she wants because Dave is only interested in learning about her and her world as it is. Love and Biko are their common ground.

Perv party, lingerie party, flirt party, pimps and ho's, shorts and stunners...

Thursday, 9th October; girls brave the cold and dorn their shortest shorts. Word is, the students (male) organising the latest hot party; 'the shorts and stunners party' are offering free tickets to all girls spotted with short shorts on that day. The tickets cost R10.


Visions of girls lined up at the Kaif awaiting inspection and approval by the organisers immediately spring to mind. Something about this picture does not sit well with me.

I found myself questioning the worth of every girl's thighs. If I were for sale, I would like to believe that my thighs would cost more than R10?

It seems every party on this campus has to have some sexual connotation. It also seems as though we, female students, have taken it upon ourselves to become the girls described in the hip-hop music videos; girls whose shorts get them free tickets and the occasional free shots.

The reality is that these dress codes are hardly ever directed at our male counterparts (unless they are being instructed to come dressed as our pimps). I am no expert, but surely not being ashamed to associate or indeed identify ourselves with words like ho (translation: whore) and pervert, is telling of how much value we place in ourselves and our sexuality?