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Gentlemen Callers – Don’t trust boys

Production by: Minette van der Walt & Debbie Potgieter

“Don’t trust boys” is an unusual and strange music video that views the state of being through sinister eyes. The song lyrics are written by Rob Cairns to reflect the band’s annoyance of pop music and empty lyrics. Their sound is a mix of the raw simplicity of The Stooges and The Birthday Party, with atonal guitar solos and a few tempo shifts. Gentlemen Callers is a South African post-punk band based in Grahamstown who voice a non-conformist message.

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Coming Back – Kristen Birch

Production by Palesa Mashigo & Kirsten Allnutt

An auburn haired, blue-eyed beauty in a meadow making her way to an old house to reunite with her guitar is a picture that people associate with pop music sensation, Taylor Swift. Kristin Birch is a beautiful, talented young lady that could give Taylor Swift a run for her money. “Coming Back” epitomises serenity and longing. Kristin’s character is a restless soul that has been roaming the world because she has unresolved concerns that she needs to confront before she goes peacefully into the afterlife. The guitar she makes her way to represents this salvation.
This is essentially a story about a young lady who is re-connecting with God through her natural environment and her music.

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Cameron Cordell’s Romanza

Production by Amaal Salie, Jacek Kaminski & Katja Schreiber

Cameron Cordell’s composition Romanza in C sharp major is a beautiful and moving piece of music, aflutter with recurring sweeping melodies. The simplicity and minimalist charm of his music allows the listener’s mind to wander freely. The video creates an aesthetic in support of the sound, rather than conjuring up a far-flung narrative. Cameron is currently studying towards his LLB at Rhodes University.

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AfroBots at Scifest Africa

Report by Debbie Potgieter & Minette van der Walt

Switches, circuits and clever engineering, Scifest hosts the annual Afrobot competition in Grahamstwon; a platform which could possibly be the practical solution to the maths and science mark woes of matric students.
On the day of the competition after several robot battles, the final consists of a team from Graham College, Lando and team Floppy, two brothers from Somerset East. Brothers Joshua and Gideon Taljard walked home with first place after their robot, made out of old motors and floppy disks held together by cable ties and glue, stole the victory from robot Lando. Floppy had the advantage of a fully rotatable arm capable of rotating the dice to any number they so wished. This competition is testament to the fact that robotics is a fun and educational way to stimulate young scientists’ minds.

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The Beauty of Science at SciFest Africa

Report by Palesa Mashigo & Kirsten Allnutt

For many, science is all about complex formulations and inconceivable experiments. Very few people can follow a career path in the field of science but Sci-Fest Africa reminds people annually, that science can be practiced from the comfort of our own homes. Rhodes University’s Pharmacy 4 students this year exhibited a collection of “home-made” skin products like hand sanitizers, body cream and lip balm.