We all know that being in Grahamstown feels almost like living on an island, to the most part secluded from the outside world. Being in Rhodes University is a further isolation. We live in a bubble, shielded from the harshness of the real world: a fairytale world where everything is perfect. We go to our lectures and tuts and on Wednesday the weekend begins. To the outside world Rhodes University is a world in itself, portraying dedicated students (who may get drunk once in a while) but students who stand up for what they believe in. It is a University far removed from discrimination of any kind. We all march for women’s rights, gay rights; a liberal university. We do not accept discrimination of any kind. That is why you never hear of racism at Rhodes University. That is why you never hear of homophobia at Rhodes University. Therefore it makes so much more sense that Rhodes University students would ruin portraits of the great Steven Biko, recently put up after the renaming of the Union to the Bantu Steven Biko Building, or that Rhodes University students would bring fear to the life of a homosexual student who was threatened and almost attacked because he is openly gay. Yes, Rhodes University; our (safe) home away from home.
I have always wondered why it is that issues of discrimination never arise at Rhodes University. It seems virtually impossible to me that every other university has reported cases of some kind of discrimination, but Rhodes is somehow exempt from it all. But I have now finally discovered the answer to my own question. Rhodes University is known as a liberal university. Discrimination it seems would never be tolerated in an institution like this. We have societies of all kinds, exhibiting their pride in their cultures (Lesoc, Zim soc for example) as well as societies for homosexuals such as Out Rhodes. The world sees a place that is accepting of all kinds, because we hold protest marches aimed at women’s rights and gay rights, marches against all kinds of discrimination. Therefore it is widely understood that Rhodes University equals peace, love and happiness and students play along with this image.
However drunkenness takes over sanity and the masquerade abruptly ends. We have students who publicly exclaim their threats and hatred of gay people and students who vandalise beautiful portraits celebrating a man who was an immense part of changing this country for the better; a hero to most black South Africans. Some may say that this may not have been an act of racism, but I find it difficult to believe that black students who are able to be at this university because of people like Steven Biko would commit an act so disrespectful of their history and their race.
I’m pretty certain that very few people have heard of these extremely disgusting acts, because it seems to me that Rhodes University is attempting desperately to hold on to this façade of a perfect world. Issues of rape on campus never go beyond the University gates. Issues of racism and homophobia never go beyond those small groups which are directly affected, because students are afraid of tainting the image that Rhodes portrays. The perpetrators of this discrimination also seem too scared to be honest about who they truly are. In their sober states they are all “pro-everything” but as soon as they lose hold of their masks at the Union (the University club), Equilibrium (EQ) or digs parties, their true faces are revealed.
You may call me crazy but I would rather these people be honest about who they truly are (drunk or sober), so we can finally know the extent of this discrimination and what we are dealing with. Rhodes University looks down on the UOFS institution because of the extreme cases of racism there, but students should start looking at and criticising their own surroundings, because much of the same thing happens in the minds of students here at Rhodes. This University has the tendency of covering up difficult issues, sweeping them under the carpet so that everyone else does not find out about them. At the moment these issues are not to the extreme, but we all know that these kinds of actions start off small and then escalate into something less controllable. That is why Rhodes University needs to confront the seemingly small incidents. They need to make a big deal about them so that these students can know for a fact that any racist and homophobic acts they commit will be retaliated against with extreme force. So until this minor issue is dealt with you won’t hear me shouting “Viva liberalism at Rhodes University! Viva!”
I have always wondered why it is that issues of discrimination never arise at Rhodes University. It seems virtually impossible to me that every other university has reported cases of some kind of discrimination, but Rhodes is somehow exempt from it all. But I have now finally discovered the answer to my own question. Rhodes University is known as a liberal university. Discrimination it seems would never be tolerated in an institution like this. We have societies of all kinds, exhibiting their pride in their cultures (Lesoc, Zim soc for example) as well as societies for homosexuals such as Out Rhodes. The world sees a place that is accepting of all kinds, because we hold protest marches aimed at women’s rights and gay rights, marches against all kinds of discrimination. Therefore it is widely understood that Rhodes University equals peace, love and happiness and students play along with this image.
However drunkenness takes over sanity and the masquerade abruptly ends. We have students who publicly exclaim their threats and hatred of gay people and students who vandalise beautiful portraits celebrating a man who was an immense part of changing this country for the better; a hero to most black South Africans. Some may say that this may not have been an act of racism, but I find it difficult to believe that black students who are able to be at this university because of people like Steven Biko would commit an act so disrespectful of their history and their race.
I’m pretty certain that very few people have heard of these extremely disgusting acts, because it seems to me that Rhodes University is attempting desperately to hold on to this façade of a perfect world. Issues of rape on campus never go beyond the University gates. Issues of racism and homophobia never go beyond those small groups which are directly affected, because students are afraid of tainting the image that Rhodes portrays. The perpetrators of this discrimination also seem too scared to be honest about who they truly are. In their sober states they are all “pro-everything” but as soon as they lose hold of their masks at the Union (the University club), Equilibrium (EQ) or digs parties, their true faces are revealed.
You may call me crazy but I would rather these people be honest about who they truly are (drunk or sober), so we can finally know the extent of this discrimination and what we are dealing with. Rhodes University looks down on the UOFS institution because of the extreme cases of racism there, but students should start looking at and criticising their own surroundings, because much of the same thing happens in the minds of students here at Rhodes. This University has the tendency of covering up difficult issues, sweeping them under the carpet so that everyone else does not find out about them. At the moment these issues are not to the extreme, but we all know that these kinds of actions start off small and then escalate into something less controllable. That is why Rhodes University needs to confront the seemingly small incidents. They need to make a big deal about them so that these students can know for a fact that any racist and homophobic acts they commit will be retaliated against with extreme force. So until this minor issue is dealt with you won’t hear me shouting “Viva liberalism at Rhodes University! Viva!”
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