Cane Train to the Rescue!

Here it is!!!

For your enjoyment, our very own, Sotally Tober web photo-comic!
http://hosted.pikistrips.com/comic_strip/s/image/28/288/528/comic-p.jpg

Enjoy!

some famous drinking quotes

Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. --Ernest Hemmingway

Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me. --Winston Churchill

Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink. --Lady Astor to Winston Churchill
Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it. --His reply

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading. --Henny Youngman

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. --Benjamin Franklin

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.--Humphrey Bogart

All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me - so let's just do this and I'll get back to killing you with beer. --Homer Simpsonre

You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on. --Dean Martin

Feeling Mumpalicious?

It seems that developing a new face is the latest trend at Rhodes, making people look like they've rapidly come about an extreme case of first year spread or have a packet of marshmallows shoved in their cheeks. Those who get it on both sides of their face are particularly unfortunate, luckily only my left cheek came victim but it's still one of the worst, most uncomfortable and painful things you can get (depending how bad it hits).


To be honest before I got Mumps I didn't really know what it was so I didn't object when the San told me I had 'ear infection' - yeah right! I was planning on having the week off lectures and being all recovered and on form for Tri-Varsity which I’d been psyching up towards for ages like you all. The week passed though and it only got worse, bed bounding me for 10 days! Clearly my immune system isn't very efficient. I was devastated to hear there isn’t a cure – you just have to take pain killers (which, believe me, are really needed! It’s PAINFUL!)

It’s spread by direct contact with saliva and discharges of the nose and throat of an infected person. No wander it’s spreading like fire, next time you find yourself standing under the air-con at Friars with a cute guy (or girl), think twice! A random score isn’t worth the days of hell to follow. Also, make sure you’re out of coughing and sneezing range, and don’t stand too close when you’re talking too people... the virus is floating around in that air gap between you and dying to dive down your throat too.
Mumps linger in your system 12-25 days before symptoms show. Don’t listen to people who say that the only infectious stage, you’re just as infectious when you’ve got a fat face until the swelling is properly gone. Don’t try function while you’ve got it, the only way to get rid of it is to sleep and let your body build up its own immunity. Unfortunately this means no partying or drinking for a while, and from experience I’ll tell you that it seems like months of not going out (especially when it’s over tri-var weekend!) But don’t be tempted, you’ll just make things worse and there are severe complications like meningitis and infertility.

Apparently the reason why so many people are getting mumps is because parents in the late eighties didn’t get their children vaccinated as rumours said it caused autism. I had the MMR vaccine, so just because you’ve had it don’t go thinking you’re safe, you’re all at risk (except me since I can’t get it again :) ). So if you’ve been an unfortunate victim of mumps, help out your friends who get it, since everyone else will be ducking and diving in all directions to avoid them. Thanks Cit for being the one brave soul to venture into my room, and those who shouted through my door or stood at the window. 10 days of hybernation get extremely boring, especially if your only communication to the outer world is 'facebook'.
If you have it at the moment, hibernate in your room, relax and take advantage of losing a few kg's while you sip on yogi sip (since you can’t chew and don’t have the appetite for anything real anyway). Catch up on all the movies and series you’ve missed out on. Be sure to avoid any acidic drinks, especially lemon juice. Of corse, if there’s anyone who’s been really mean to you or an ex-boyfriend who you’ve yet to take revenge on, make sure you talk to them, but otherwise try keep your distance. It's time to hang those party boots up, but don't worry you'll be back in the game soon and able to continue that Sotally Tober lifestyle (which is probably the reason you got mumps in the first place)!

A Typical party animal?

Dylan van Musschenbroek is doing a balancing act. Student, Barman, hockey-player and D.J. are just a few of the aspects of this first year’s life. A large proportion of first years spend their year getting used to the demands of university-both academic and social. Dylan chose to make first year a bit more challenging for himself by getting a job as a barman at the popular local nightclub ‘Friars.’ For someone who describes himself as “quite lazy” it may come as a surprise that he chose to increase his workload. “One drunken night my mate Ryan and I decided that we needed more money to drink. We went up to the manager in friars and asked him for a job and he told us to come back on Monday” explains Dylan. Both of them retuned on the Monday, made it through training and can now be found behind the bar serving up all sorts of weird and wonderful alcoholic concoctions to Rhodents.

“Rhodents will do anything for free alcohol.” This statement seems to sum up Rhodents relatively well and its clear from the mischievous smile on Dylan’s face that his job allows him to see Rhodes at its best (or should that be at its worst?). “You see people who have to literally hold onto the bar, then those people who come and order another four shots that they don’t need and then those who will do anything for free alcohol such as flashing.” Serving students who are reputed to be the ‘the biggest drinkers’ it comes as no surprise that he often has weird drink requests. “Things that I would never think about ordering such as double cane and water and the weirdest one I have ever had is Stroh (rum) and Appletiser.”

Despite a busy working life Dylan still finds time to cultivate being a true Rhodent. “The first six months (of varsity) was just jolling, I didn’t do much work and this showed up in my June exam results.” After his June results Dylan had to change his degree from a Bachelor of commerce to a Bachelor of social science. Although Rhodes was his second choice for university he says that he can’t think about a terrible experience at Rhodes and
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from the sound of things he does not regret the decision he made in coming to Rhodes. Having a job and coping with academic pressures are difficult but according to Dylan can be done if you plan ahead. “It’s not so much about time management as time construction.” Although he does confess that he is “a last minute orientated guy” he does work hard when it is required of him.

“O-week was a big jol, I’m not gonna lie”, says Dylan as the talk turns to aspects of Rhodes life. For Dylan going out, especially during O-week, is not simply about partying and getting drunk. “It’s a chance to network, which I think is an important skill. You need to put yourself out there. Chances are if you meet 500 people you will end up with 50 new mates who will introduce you to other people.” Yet partying and “networking’ will take a toll on you. “If you wake up with a hangover go back to sleep. Sleep is the best cure for a hangover” advises Dylan.

This first year may be seen as a typical party animal but there are definitely other dimensions to him. Coping with academics, a social life, a job and sport commitments can’t be easy as Dylan found out the hard way, but from all that’s been said it seems as though he is managing to strike the balance.

Asked for advice for next years first years Dylan says: “Be yourself, don’t be afraid, get involved and have a jol!”

Drunk...wonder what that's like...

Rhodent. The things that come to mind when we hear this word are drunk, party, loud; just to name a few. One would never associate it with academic, doesn’t drink but still manages to come home later than most after a night out. How can anyone have fun and last a whole night without alcohol is what might be running through your mind right now. Shannon is that person, a new meaning to the word Rhodent.

Shannon grew up in Margate, a town on the South Coast where the nightlife isn’t that spectacular, especially when you’ve got parents that won’t allow you out. “My matric dance was the first time I went out during my matric year,” she said, blushing. Shannon’s dad would never let her go out before then and it showed in her marks, which consisted of nothing but ‘A’s. But is this really the life any teenager should be living?

Shannon became very shy and sunk into her academics to hide from the outsiders who had her classed as a “boffin”, the term everyone wants to avoid when in school. She came to Rhodes hoping to change herself and her outlook on life, and that she did. During O-week she went out every night, coming home in the early hours of the morning along with the rest of her new friends, friends that didn’t have a stigma attached to her. This is about the point where we all assume she goes completely off the rails. Guess again because Shannon still doesn’t drink, or at least not like most Rhodents anyway. “I just don’t like the feeling of being out of control. There’s a point where you’re happy and then after that you just become crazy and I don’t like that.” It’s true, Shannon got drunk for the first time at Rhodes on…wait for it…cane train. “I don’t think I’ll be doing that again any time soon,” she said.

So how does one avoid the peer pressure, the constant nagging from her drunken friends and the temptation? Shannon has respect for herself and knows drinking is not the way forward. “It’s not good for your health or your studies,” as she correctly stated. But university is all about having fun and she says that you can have fun with one or two drinks and if you can’t remember, what’s the point?

Going out twice, sometimes three times, a week is plenty according to Shannon and this is how she plans to go through the rest of her university career. She’s a perfect example of how, at Rhodes, one doesn’t have to fall under the category of a typical Rhodent to fit in and have a great time. Shannon, along with her recently changed image from blonde to brunette, now has more friends than she’s ever had before. She’s been out more times in the last year than she had in her whole life before Rhodes and she’s trying new things along the way, without disregarding what she believes in and what her parents instilled in her. A true Rhodent in disguise…

Mind the Gap

She climbs back into bed, propped up on pillows with loosely tied hair failing to cover the slight swelling around one cheek. Another unfortunate victim of the mumps epidemic plaguing Rhodes, yet this doesn’t mask her welcoming smile or dampen her spirits in any way.

Kerry Phillips is “a million dollar girl” as described by close friend, Julia. She’s survived the transition from a wild gap year to university and is passing her first year at Rhodes. After being brought up as a small town girl in Botswana, she bravely set off on a ‘Euro trip’ where she based herself as a stooge for a junior school in Bristol, one of England’s core cities. She experienced several places, touring Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Switzerland to name a few. “It was one big party the whole year” she says, “Rhodes is too, but you actually have to balance it with work”.

It was a battle getting back into the swing of things, “it felt like I’d forgotten how to use my brain” she laughs. Her work overseas was practical, coaching sport, helping in the classroom and completing the more tedious tasks like washing clothes for the boarders. This all helped with emotional preparation, building confidence and maturity after already having dealt with the challenges of freedom and independence. “It made me realize you actually have to work for what you want, especially through the broke times”. A night sleeping in the entrance hall of a block of flats with friends in London, penniless for accommodation and pouring rain outside, was just one of the contributing factors to this realization. Apart from the worry of empty pockets, there was nothing holding her back, but “now I have to have an end in sight, focusing towards a degree” she sighs, twiddling her thumbs.

Sniggering guiltily, she admits that she still manages to go out 3-4 times a week. Wednesday nights at Union are her ultimate, dressing up to wacky themes, boarding the Cain train and playing drinking games with the girls. Flashing her cherry coated nails she giggles her confession of having an alter ego named Marshy. According to Res mate, Cit, Marshy is “hazardous, hilarious, feisty and bouncy”. She comes out to play after a few too many and is especially stimulated by box wine, although tequila is her VIP ticket to club duvet. As for lecture attendance the next day, despite her best intentions to start going again this term, she hasn’t quite got back into the routine since the “nightmare” of O-term. Of course, mumps has her bed bound as one excuse for now, but her computer screen also keeps her snuggled up watching Gossip Girl. She does still strike the balance, however, doing well in exams and getting work done.

“Before gap year I said I’d do everything no matter what, even if I’d be just scraping through and living on bread. I did it all and have no regrets” she says, and this year has been much the same. Although she regrets some of her ‘mares’ as Marshy (e.g.drunk dialing!), it’s all added to the fun of first year. Kirsten describes Kerry as “old and wise”, having experienced life to the fullest and of course being the oldest and probably most mature (at times) of her friends, but her vivacious nature always shines through.



She’s survived many obstacles, managing to keep all her DP’s. Although marks may not make for the next brain scientist, she makes sure they stay above 50% without having to cut down on party time, making her a Sotally Tober “Absolut Rhodent”.

Can You Juggle?

“I just love partying so much that I’ve kind of had to find a way to cope with Varsity, which for me is a combo of partying, sport and studying.” Says Peter Alexander Gillespie, better known as “Alex”, “Gilsey” and even some times “Ben Stiller”, who is a first year student studying BCOM at Rhodes. Since the theme of Sotally Tober is well, “living sotally tober” and so strongly linked with partying and the social aspect of a first year at Rhodes, I thought it would be appropriate as well as interesting to find out about how a student who is really into their sports, but still parties, and survives at Rhodes. Enter Alex, Under 21s rugby player, academic survivor and twice-a-week go-outer.

“Balancing three completely different parts of life isn’t easy, but trust me bru, it’s worth it!” Alex explains to me how his average day works: waking up at 5am every morning to jog 5km, going to lectures, and then returning to Res for lunch and possibly an afternoon nap. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, days normally only end at 3 or 4am, Alex tells me, because working and studying can only start when he gets back from rugby (or the gym, in the case of this term because the season is finished) really late. Even though he is currently not playing, Alex still makes a firm point of staying fit by cross-training in jogging and gyming. “But, since my weekdays are crap, it makes my Wednesdays and Fridays so much better!” These are the two days a week Alex allows himself to “get slightly mental”. Generally a Union-Friars person, he says that sometimes it’s also fun to check out other places such as The Rat, EQ, CaféBlanca and such. Usually, his Wednesday nights end at around 1 or 2am; and on Friday they “end when they end”.

“But the thing is Nev, we are so damn lucky to be at a place like Rhodes, and lately I’ve been appreciating it more than ever, so I try to stay on top of my work, because lets face it: we all know that some people won’t be here next year, and I don’t want to be one of them…” Everyone has (I hope!) at some point felt the academic pressures which exist here, and I can quite confidently guess, at any other University too, so I found it interesting to see how Alex survives the workload, even with all the other things which occupy his time. He laughs at me with a cheery, Ben Stiller-grin and says with an air of sarcasm, “Time management, buddy.” He explains that he works every single night and does assignments as soon as he gets them, so as not to leave them until the very last minute. I admire his dedication to his sport, and his enthusiasm which is helping him survive his first year.

Sometimes I find it hard to manage my own time, and don’t quite prioritise like I would like to, even though I has half as much as Alex has taking up my time. So I believe that Alex really is a “survivor of first year”, and that thanks to people like him I’m able to think about my own position. He’s learnt how to juggle (one of the more important talents one learns at Varsity), and through this he is living life Sotally Tober, still keeping up with academics and making time for his sport.

Respect, Alex!
Nev