by Sakeena Suliman | Apr 15, 2011 | News
South Africa’s pot bellies, love handles and muffin tops rank third highest in the world and Witsies could be adding to that statistic.
A GlaxoSmithKline survey found South Africans to be “the third fattest people in the world.” The study’s findings indicated that up to 2/3 of women are obese and 61% of people are overweight.
Witsies find it tough to uphold healthy eating habits and fit exercise into their University lifestyles.Students feel healthy eating isn’t encouraged on campus and university life contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle.
With the lack of time, piles of homework and easy accessibility to affordable, “fatty” campus foods, Mathapelo Nyiphi, a 2nd year BA student, says she “gained weight after high school.”
Many students have a full timetable which may sometimes offer the odd free period but still find no time to exercise. 2nd year fine arts student, Aneesah Shaikjee, is comfortable with what she eats and feels she has a good idea of what her limits are but finds it difficult to find time to exercise.
“If you call walking around campus exercise, then I do it, “she joked. A sentiment a lot of students take comfort in as they sometimes have to walk across campus for different classes. She also takes the stairs instead of the lift to fit exercise in.
Experts say the leading contributors to an unhealthy lifestyle are bad eating habits, the consumption of unhealthy foods, lack of sleep and stress.
“Leading a sedentary lifestyle and a bad diet will increase your weight and waist line,” said Faaiza Paruk, a registered Johannesburg dietician. While genetics do play a role in being overweight or obese, she said an unhealthy lifestyle triggers it into action.
She felt that if government introduced better lifestyle lessons in schools then students would be better equipped in making the right choices once they move from home to university. A Wits Star School student, Kwenele Sithole agreed but also felt healthy foods should be more affordable.
Paruk encourages students to pack lunches and plan meals in order to stay away from the easier but fattier options the University offers. Wits University offers gym services and a variety of sports and some students wake up an hour earlier to fit an exercise routine into their schedule.
by Sakeena Suliman | Apr 14, 2011 | News, Sport
Many people feel Wits needs to spend more money to create a stronger Wits stance in the university Rugby leagues.
While Wit’s Rugby Club does receive a budget from the university they rely a lot on sponsors, alumni (old boys) and fundraising events. Compared to other universities who receive a budget of approximately R1,5 million, it still isn’t enough.
Despite a Varsity Shield final defeat, the Wits Rugby Club has managed to not only exceeded expectations and build its team up from scratch, but also create a “rugby culture” at the university. Rugby fans still feel that Wits Rugby could do more if they were better funded by the university.
“Most of the universities have a huge rugby budget and spend a lot of money in prepping their players,” said Mike Charnas, Wits Rugby Club chairperson.
Rumours that other universities – such as UJ- pay their players a monthly salary of up R20 000 also encourage prospective students to apply to other universities for their rugby exposure instead.
Chulumanco Macingwane, the club’s vice chairperson, “doesn’t believe that at this level it should be about the money.”
“It should be about the culture,” added Macingwane.
A sentiment shared by Wits’ rugby sports officer Quintin Van Rooyen, who feels university rugby should also be about the opportunity to gain a degree added to good rugby exposure.
“The club has recently received a lot of media interest after seeing what Wits Rugby has achieved,” said Van Rooyen. He hopes this will show prospective students skilled in rugby that the university does offer great rugby along with a top education.
He feels that like any other sport, to do better the club does need better funding but are still showing improvement despite their financial shortcomings.
by Sakeena Suliman | Apr 8, 2011 | News, Sport
WITS University under budgets its sports clubs and lacks a balance between sports and academics according to various sports club committees.
Tight budgets and stringent quotation procedures (for purchasing equipment) make it difficult to manage clubs effectively.
Added to this is that Wits Sports Administration cannot make provision for transport in their club budgets and some say funding is cut every year.
While members expressed gratitude for the budgets they received and support at University Sports South Africa tournament, they felt it was not enough and was not on the same level as other universities.
Many clubs hold fundraisers but couldn’t find more time outside maintaining their studies to do it vigorously.
Graham Rex, chairperson of Wits Rowing Club said he understood that rowing is an expensive sport and members needed to contribute, but the budget they are given is too small.
“We are basically funding a substantial part of our participation out of our own pockets,” said Rex.
The costs deterred keen students from getting involved as they could not afford it. Rex added they received a budget which is 12% of what their major competitor, University of Johannesburg (UJ), received and that it was “amazing they were able to compete and often beat them”.
He added that he doesn’t know how Wits could be a top 100 university “when they neglect their sports so much”.
Members from the netball and hockey clubs – who did not want to be named – felt the same as Rex and said budgets only covered the basics.
“The majority of sports clubs could do with more money,” said snow ski club chairperson, Jamie Bentley. A major portion of their budget will go towards competing in a national snowboarding event.
Wits Sports Council (WSC) treasurer Kent Davis said, “Wits Sport is under tremendous financial pressures to sustain sport at its current level.
“The grant given from the University for the various sports clubs isn’t enough to cover the very basic costs needed to run a university sporting side, let alone a competitive one.”
Brendon von Essen, WSC chairperson added: “Wits, while placing primacy on academics, needs to nurture its [sports] as it could risk losing publicity, reputation…and subsequently lose excellent students…to institutions such as UCT that have comparative academic standards but a far larger sports budget.”
by Sakeena Suliman | Apr 8, 2011 | News
SOUTH AFRICA remains the most targeted region for phishing scams even though global spam volumes have reportedly decreased according to a leading web security service study.
MessageLabs Intelligence revealed South Africa to be the most targeted for phishing scams since September 2010. Their latest report, released March 2011, keeps SA in the top position.
Third year media studies student, Ruth Poswelletski, knows a few people that have been scammed on the net. Her sister’s employee believed a spam scam and “lost more than R10 000”. She is untrustworthy of internet banking because of her friend’s negative experiences and usually deletes foreign e-mails and spam.
Kshir Bedhesi who worked in Standard Bank’s online security division last year and is a 2nd year architecture student, said they managed to “shut down all the phishing sites [duplicate bank sites] by the end of the year”.
The common method of implementing an attack is by sending an official-looking e-mail which plays on the users’ fears requesting them to either divulge personal information or to follow a link to a phishing site. The ultimate aim is to gain as much information for fraud purposes, Bedhesi explained.
Popular spam that people get “sucked” into entertaining is the Nigerian 4-1-9 scam which is an
advance-fee fraud scam.
“These come in the form of mails that say you are a lottery winner,” he added, “and people often lose money getting sucked into them. The money then becomes difficult to retrace.”
Spam can also include functionality to access personal information.
“Someone out there is using my identity as his own,” said 3rd year information systems student, Chintan Patel about his hotmail address being stolen by a hacker. There’s an underworld of hackers who are trying to outdo the other.
Patel advises sending an e-mail to many addresses by “BCC” (blind carbon copy). Scammers feed off chain mail forwarded to many visible addresses.
”Wits has a place you can forward spam to,” he added.
“As virtual as [the internet] is, it’s also real,” said a member of the CNS network team. He said the hacker underworld is made up of a range of personalities described as “black hats and white hats”.
Black hats are intentionally malicious and want to hack or crack codes to access data as they find it a challenge. White hats break codes to test them.
He advises pupils to use “Firefox” as a web browser, internet security and to be aware and question where things come from.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 31, 2011 | News
Wits 4th year pharmacy students now have less spending money and more free time on their hands as Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital has cut down student staff hours.
In the past the hospital’s pharmacy department has hired 4th year students to work and gain experience to alleviate the long queues and wait that patients have to endure. That is about to change because of budget cuts and the hiring of senior pharmacists.
A 4th year pharmacy student who has worked in the pharmacy since last year and did not want to be name , says hospital management are trying to solve the queuing problem by hiring more experienced staff.
“Students work gets double checked and that might reduce displacement time.”
He feels they should hire more students as staff instead of cutting down on student hours and replacing them with “more experienced” pharmacists.
“That way they’d pick up the pace” and students would gain experience in a learning environment.
Students are upset about the cut in hours as it means they won’t get the much-needed practical experience and some rely on the money that they earn.
National Students Pharmacy Council president Hilton Stevens, who worked at the hospital’s pharmacy, says the system has changed and seems to “have gotten worse even though management tries to meet the workload”.
He feels there was a communication breakdown between doctors and pharmacists which added to the pharmacist’s problem of sometimes needing to explain to patients about discontinued medication that had been prescribed.
“Queues are inevitable and displacement of medication takes time as the pharmacist needs to make sure the patient understands how to take the medication,” Stevens says.
The high workload and pressures they work under sometimes results in pharmacists and patients tempers flaring.
Patients like Botha Hermien from Midrand wait outside the pharmacy doors from 4.30am to avoid waiting in queues. Some patients complain about receiving rude service and being shouted at when they ask questions.
The hospital’s chief pharmacist would not comment and the public relations officer could not be reached for comment before Vuvuzela went to print.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 28, 2011 | News
Witsies planning to apply for jobs may want to rethink their visible piercings.
Wits students’ reasons for piercing or not piercing range from self expression and aesthetic appeal to enhancing sexual pleasure or just rebelling against the norm. But once they step out of the grassy landscapes of university life and into the concrete jungle of the working world many students feel it won’t be accepted as professional.
First year medicine student Seitebatso Segodi pierced her navel at 16 and intends getting a matching nipple ring with her friend soon. She felt piercings were better option than tattoos which focused on a stage in your life and were less easy to remove.
“I don’t think anyone wants a doctor with an eyebrow ring giving them a shot,” she said and liked the fact that her piercing was concealed which meant she could keep it after university.
Sachin Chittigadu is a 1st year chemical engineering student with a tongue ring and Playboy bunny earring. He got his tongue ring in December last year as “more of a gift for his girlfriend”.
“She finds kissing more stimulating, but I know I will have to remove them once I start working.”Chittigadu said.
Professional body piercer and 3rd year fine arts student, Paul Samuels, has had a lot of clients come back to him to remove piercings because they were going for an interview or because the company they worked for didn’t approve of them.
Samuels said there were negative stereotypes linked to people with body piercings and certain industries were more liberal than others.
“If you have an eyebrow ring in a corporate environment it comes across as unprofessional. Being different doesn’t sell.”
He said retainers were an option to keep the piercing concealed while still keeping it open but employers were not always accepting of it.
Many companies have a dress code or company policy that prohibits visible piercings besides earrings which is usually drawn up to preserve the company’s public image.
According to a vault.com survey, 85% of people felt that piercings made them less employable while others felt job performance should speak for itself.
Body modification grew in popularity in the United States in the 1990s, making access to piercings of the navel, nose, eyebrows, lips, tongue, nipples and genitals more easily available.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 28, 2011 | News
Many Wits students are tired of being persuaded to buy goods and services at almost every robot.
Drivers can find anything from car chargers to rubber snakes thrust at them at supposed low prices and a lot of them find robot hawkers and windscreen washers aggressive.
Windscreen cleaners however receive Wits drivers’ scorn more than hawkers. For spare change Joburg drivers can have their windscreens spotless in a matter of seconds.
“Those guys that wash your windows are really irritating,” said 2nd year health sciences student Nabeela, who did not want her full name mentioned.
“I dislike like them more than I do the hawkers.”
A 3rd year medical student said her friend was a victim of a “smash and grab” incident on Jan Smuts Avenue and the man looked like he was selling goods. Because of this she makes sure she “has her window rolled up” at robots.
Hawkers also come across as aggressive instead of as persistent salesmen. “The guy actually stuck his hand through my window,” said 2nd year physiotherapy student Clarise du Plessis, about the robot hawker who stands on Jan Smuts and St Andrews.
Her friend, 2nd year health sciences student Annick Gourrege, like many Witsies said she wouldn’t buy “stuff” in general but did buy her World Cup flags from a robot hawker. Most students said they never paid windscreen washers because they wash their windows despite protestations not to.
Many people believe the goods to be stolen and others feel it’s a possible “smash and grab” method and usually keep their windows rolled up at major intersections.
Napier Wholesalers supply goods to “most of the robot hawkers in Johannesburg”. Owner Sameer Surtee said it’s become a “fully fledged business”.
“Hawkers can make up to R500 or more a day depending on how good they are,” said Surtee. He believes that the number of hawkers have decreased since the 2008 xenophobic attacks but cites most of his sellers as being from Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
He also said the biggest problem hawkers are faced with is being arrested by Metro cops and their goods being “illegally” confiscated and returned only once they’ve paid a fine of up to R500 – sometimes more than the goods are worth.
While many students had a negative view of hawkers a few shared the sentiment that people were being proactive in creating jobs to earn an income instead of turning to crime. “It’s awesome helping people who are helping themselves,” said Ashvir Rajkumar, a 2nd year medicine student.
A hawker who stands at Eastgate Shopping Centre’s main intersection has been selling goods there for six years. He did not want to be named and said, “I do it because it’s difficult finding a job and I need to make a living.”
Robot hawkers and windscreen cleaners are a norm on Johannesburg roads and the free market enterprise law means they’re here to stay.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 18, 2011 | News
For many Witsies, the prospect of a cold one on a Friday night is what gets them through a long week. However, if a proposal to raise the legal alcohol drinking age to 21 is passed, this might change for some.
A summit on eradicating alcohol and drug abuse was held in Durban from March 15 to 17. Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said society’s wellbeing was government’s priority.
Vuvuzela investigated the effects the new legal age – if passed – would have on students, the social environment and various Wits’ clubs and societies.
Brendan von Essen, Wits Sports Council (WSC) chairperson said they have not formally addressed the matter as it has not yet become legislation but believes raising the legal drinking age will negatively affect Wits’ clubs and student campus life.
“Several of our events do involve the sale of alcohol. If the age is raised to 21, the WSC, fully cognisant of our legal duties, will be forced to re-evaluate the manner in which these events are held which could be detrimental to our clubs fundraising efforts,” he said.
Von Essen also felt it could create a division between younger and older students which would “hinder cross-year friendships that are a hallmark of university life”.
President of Wits clubs and societies Kentse Radebe said: “Clubs and societies would have to come up with new ideas about how to attract the student populace to their events and raise funds for themselves while ensuring that they cater to the needs of both those who are over 21 years of age and below.”
Wits Silly Buggers would still exist as they have a lot of deals with outside clubs but the new legislation might increase underage and binge drinking felt the club’s co-chairperson Andy Nell. “Underage drinking is less responsible,” he said.
First year BSc students Cayla Campbell (18) and Rory Murtagh (21) said the possible change of law was “not fair” and believed it would affect student social life and “increase false ID usage and underage drinking”.
A few Witsies like Dyllan Geldenhuis (18), a 1st year health sciences student, said they would reconsider joining clubs like Wits Silly Buggers and it would limit places they could go out to.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 18, 2011 | Sport
Bags don’t hit back: Eric Manganyi during a punching bag workout Photo: Sakeena Suliman
WITS boxing club welcomed a new coach into its stable three weeks ago and for the first time since its inception in 1998 he isn’t a Witsie.
Eric Manganyi returned to Johannesburg after working as assistant trainer to Lehlohonolo Ledwaba (former IBF super bantamweight champion) in Bloemfontein. Although he is excited about passing on his boxing skills to Wits beginner and senior amateur boxers, he knows it will take time.
“I love boxing, it’s in my blood and veins,” he saiys.
Manganyi intends working with the boxers to develop their skills by giving them a good foundation of the basics. “My style is about knowing how to move, use your punches and defend. Knockouts are a bonus.”
He hopes that Wits will see positive changes and growth in the club.
Manganyi was encouraged to start amateur boxing after reading a story about Dingaan Thobela’s success in Bona magazine at the age of 14. At 23 he decided to turn professional but gym owner Rob MacLeod saw his potential as a trainer and his career as a professional assistant trainer began.
Mbongisi Dyantyi, former coach and member of the Wits Writing Centre, left the club last year to further his studies in America. Though the club’s senior boxers miss their ex-oach they are both excited and nervous to work with a new trainer.
“He’s used to working with professionals and sounds intense,” saiysVathiswa Nongogo, a Wits BA student who’s been boxing at the club for three years. She felt she might have to change her style a bit as “Eric seemed much lighter and faster on his bag workout”.
PhD chemistry student Siyanda Mthembu has been boxing at the club for five years and expects a training regiment similar to Dyantyi’s. He says he doesn’t “really understand Eric’s plan of action yet” but thinks it’s still too early to tell.
The club’s chairperson, Bakholise Mabuyane, says they were “keeping an open mind with the new coach as he surely would bring something new to the table”.
Wits boxing club trains Mondays to Thursdays from 4.45pm to 6pm in Hall 29, West Campus.
by Sakeena Suliman | Mar 15, 2011 | Featured 1, News
Car guard. Photo Mignionette de Bruin
Informal car guards can be found on most streets guiding drivers into parking bays. Many do it to make a living but drivers question whether they really do guard their cars and whether they should be given money.
Many students park on Jorissen Street and streets close to Wits East Campus as an alternative to using campus parking. All that’s expected once they claim their car is spare change. If this spare change – anything from R2 to R5 – isn’t offered, some car guards become aggressive.
“They really bother and harass you for money,” says Preetha Sooknana who picks up her nephew who is studying civil engineering at Wits. She says if she remained in the car she didn’t think it was necessary to tip them, but will tip a guard R2 to R3.
Emilie Owen, a third year drama student, says she feels obligated to tip the car guard and usually gives him R2. A second year drama student who did not want to be named said the guard “pesters him for money” and “made it seem like he deserved money for being there” because he had witnessed an attempted theft of the student’s motorbike.
Kim Roberts, a third year physiotherapy student, hasn’t experienced any problems and usually tips the guard R3 as “R1 isn’t enough to buy anything”. She uses street parking when she comes to Main Campus even though she pays for Wits parking. She said Wits Medical School’s lack of parking was worse. “They shouldn’t sell parking if there isn’t any,” she added.
Students who use the parking on Jorissen Street are familiar with Godfrey. He’s been Jorissen’s informal car guard for 15 years and says he doesn’t get offended when people don’t offer him a tip. Dominic Peters, a car guard on Henry Street, says guards make about R150 to R250 a day and he appreciated at least R2 to R5 as a tip or even food.
