Bravo, you brave cowards!

cowANDchickenANDcoward is a cyber world created by four female first year Rhodes University students. This blog, despite its name, is very brave in a sense that some of the topics that are discussed within it are really delicate and sensitive issues.
As expected wherever autonomous female minds congregate, the ladies from this blog tackle issues that are common hits among women. Issues such as weight problems and of course feminist campaigns are among the topics that fall under the umbrella of subject matter that form the crux of this blog.
The blog is also a reflection our world today, as politics also make a guest appearance among the conferred areas covered. Politically oriented current affairs make up the larger proportion of this blog, who said politics are for men? The blog also tends to take on the role of big sister as it has posts that are about the “top 10 things to do in the process of exam preparation,” which are clearly aimed at fellow students.
There are also some very fine narratives to be found on the blog, on that caught especially caught my wandering eye was “Dope time or dope out?” which was posted by writer Seeyah.
The name of the blog and the issues covered suggest that the makers of this blog had an intended contrast in mind. Only once upon a blue moon does a coward tackle these agendas with such bravery, a job well done!
Tweet: Forget Xena and Catwoman and find modern female heroines at Cow and chicken and coward!
By Tshegofatso Masoba.

Free Hugs!

What is imperative to understand before reading this post is that it involves a crazy journalism assignment my class was given over the weekend. Basically, we had to do something we had never done before. Sounds pretty easy huh? Well let me tell you, it is a lot more difficult than you would think!

Firstly, I am a broke student with no vehicle of any sort. Thus exciting trips to the beach or to see giant pineapples were out of the question. Secondly, while it may not seem like it, I have done a lot of things! Trying to find something to do that was not deathly boring or illegal proved to be incredibly challenging.

Eventually, however, after chatting to a group of friends, we came up with the idea of walking around campus with a sign saying "Free Hugs" and then dishing out hugs to whoever approached us. Being the last week of term, everyone is completely stressed out and on the verge of nervous breakdowns. Thus, offering them a good old solid hug was our way of spreading a little joy, you know, in good Halloween spirit.

I was quite chuffed with our idea the whole week (we decided to do it on Friday), but when I woke up this morning I started to feel more than slightly apprehensive. I have never really cared what people think about me, but I began to worry about people's reactions; worst would be if no one even took us up on our offer!

However, the whole experience really was fun and worthwhile. We encountered a variety of reactions, however most of them were positive. Most people walked by and gave us a smile or laugh but a good number actually wanted hugs. Wherever we went, people greeted us with happiness. There were obviously a couple of people who snickered at us or simply ignored us, but it was great to see that the majority gave us positive energy.

'Free Hugs' was an interesting exercise and one that I really enjoyed. It provided me, and hopefully many others, with a couple happy hours in an otherwise stressful and overburdened life.

A blog dedicated to scandal and ‘skinner’, RU Scandalous asks the question, “Have you heard?”

By Cat Pennels

When you arrive at RU Scandalous’s doorstep, you are confronted by a large white photograph of the Rhodes University clock tower swathed in pink and black swirls. To the left of the screen a woman’s lips pose as if to whisper something sultry into your ear. This is clearly a blog that serves up sizzling stories - but with a Rhodes flavour.

Expecting a blog that dealt with petty Rhodes gossip, I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful and challenging writing I discovered. While RU Scandalous certainly provides analysis on trends and issues at Rhodes University, it does not focus on the frivolous and mundane as I had braced myself for. In fact, a witty post written by Aimee Caulfield and entitled "Scandal only exists in the thoughts of the beholder", critically examines "the media deluge of petty celebrity fights and irksome political figures pretending to be something a lot better than they are."

Other interesting posts deal with the 'death of music', the Caster Semenya debacle and Mia Farrow's work with Gaza victims. Perhaps one of the most interesting and relevant posts is one that delves into homosexuality and the Rhodes drama department.

RU Scandalous is a blog that very successfully combines thought-provoking journalism with the latest news from around campus and the world. It stands tall among other South African blogs of its kind, such as GOSSIPS, which lack intellectual analysis. RU Scandalous is a blog that is well worth a visit.

Is Hip Hop dead?

Since it was started by the legendary DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx during the 1970’s, hip hop has since taken many shapes and forms. The worst of those forms undoubtedly being Crunk since it divided the many sons of hip hop’s ‘Father Abraham’.
Rapper Nas’ prophetic message that ‘Hip hop is dead’ seems to be coming true. With snappy beats, verses shorter than hooks and auto tune being the order of the day in modern songs.
In my 12 or so years of listening to hip hop I could not help but recognise a change as the years went by. At first, artists such as KRS-One and Rakim would constantly drop knowledge for their devotees. Fast forward to today, an age where listeners are force fed songs on the most random of topics. A song about making out in the club seems relevant these days.
Thankfully there is a market for some of us who refuse to associate with such utter rubbish. Enter underground hip hop, where opening books is regarded as more important than opening legs. Yes there is a realm beyond the Lil’ Wayne’s and Soulja Boy’s, that is where artists like The Last Emperor, Killah Priest and Canibus, to mention but just a few, reside.
Underground hip hop continues to flourish, even when its commercial counterpart struggles to find itself. Is hip hop dead? I have no straight answer for that, all I can say is that it is underground.

By Tshegofatso Masoba.

Meat's Not Green

“If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is stop eating meat.” - Paul McCartney.

For over three years I have been a dedicated vegetarian. Seeing the reality of animals suffering intensive confinement, painful mutilations and violent deaths was the driving force behind my lifestyle decision. However, I have recently become aware of a new and shocking fact; the meat industry is not only responsible for the horrificly inhumane treatment of animals but also for ravaging our environment.

According to the United Nations, raising animals for food causes more greenhouse gas emissions than all the vehicles, aeroplanes, ships and trains combined and is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems”. Every minute an area of rainforest equivalent to seven football fields is destroyed to accommodate grazing cattle, and in the USA, raising animals for food uses more than half of all the water consumed. Livestock production uses 30 percent of the earth's surface and is the leading cause of damage to scarce water sources.

Refusing to eat meat is the single most effective way of cutting down your carbon footprint. The earth is in her eleventh hour; we have to put greed and selfishness in the backseat and for once think about the good of our planet and her creations. Such a basic, inexpensive decision could not only save our earth, but precious lives too.

For more information have a look at http://www.meat.org/

Santana's guitar playing on final string

The following post is an evaluation on an article written on beleaguered national team coach Joel Santana by Tiyani wa ka Mabasa for Kick Off - South Africa.
South African reporters have been wilfully spilling ink and calling for head of the Bafana Bafana coach without stating why they believed he should leave. Unlike his colleagues and Julius Malema (News - Opinion: Santana must go - Malema), Mabasa provides readers with evidence as to why he believes Santana should be relieved of his duties.
South Africa is the first national team Santana has coached in his 28 years on the sidelines. Mabasa highlighted his three main problems with Santana as follows; “1.His selections 2.A negative playing system 3.‘Rocket science’ approach when taking decisions.”
I am of the same mind as Mabasa on these three points. Santana has made some shock inclusions/exclusions in his team, like the omission of Nasief Morris from the team while Aaron Mokoena earns cap after cap for the once great Bafana. Santana habitually selects players to fill in unfamiliar roles, while also using a defensive system that dries up the already barren goal tally.
Bafana have lost eight of their last nine matches which is at the opposite end of the continuum with teams like Spain and Brazil, who have lost only once in 42 and 21 games respectively.
Now that Joel Santana has been shown the door, the question is who will step up and take over the reigns as coach of Bafana?
By Tshegofatso Masoba.

Grace Ushang and The Indecent Dressing Bill

"Grace Ushang was a young Nigerian woman who had every right to expect a bright future. Now she is dead merely because she was female." (Asma'u Joda and Iheoma Obibi, allAfrica.com)

Grace Ushang, a women raped to death for wearing trousers, serves as yet another bitter reminder of the struggle for equality that women on this continent face daily.

Violence against women is so commonplace that it hardly ever reaches the news stand. While searching for online news coverage of Ushang's murder this fact was re-emphasised when only three news articles came up, none of which were South African. This profoundly highlights the incredible apathy that faces women's rights activists in our country and on our continent.

It is not surprising then that the most informative article was written by Joda and Iheoma of the Nigerian Feminist Forum. This article discusses the role that an "Indecent Dressing" bill had in Ushang's murder and critically discusses the horrific implications such a bill would have for the safety of Nigerian women.

Next.com's follow-up article on Ushang's murder was also interesting. While it did not explore the issues that the murder transgressed, it did show the anger and despair Ushang's family and community are experiencing.

Grace Ushang presents us with a warning that cannot be ignored. While women are being murdered for the clothes that they wear, it is unacceptable to turn a blind eye and forget our duty to other women on this continent. The battle for equality rages ever stronger.

Awesomeness

Sexual Violence = Silence