Mandela Memorial concert at Rhodes University

Report by Robyn Wertheim & Cindy Archillies

On 28 February students from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, came together to honour ex-President Nelson Mandela through song, music and dance at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Concert. The concert which was hosted at the Settlers Monument featured performances by Rhodes Acapella group Signature Sound, Tri Factor, E-Lastic Band, and Rhodes Dance Society amongst others.

Rhodes University SRC Media Councillor Brian Mabe, explains that the concert took place this late because students were on vacation at the time of ex-President Nelson Mandela’s passing. For performers, E-Lastic band this was a particularly special night because it allowed different people from Rhodes University to showcase their talent while at the same time honouring Nelson Mandela.

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.

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.

FameLab Finals at Scifest Africa

Report by Robyn Perros, Raphaela Linders and Tassyn Munro

Famelab, “the pop-idols of science”, is a competition where contestants give a 3-minute presentation to a non-scientific audience. These scientists are practicing getting their science out into the public through the competition. The competition is open to anyone between the ages of 21 and 30. Nine finalists from around South Africa partook in the final on 15th March 2013 at Scifest Africa in Grahamstown.
Famelab is an initiative of the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. It began in 2004 and now includes 25 countries — the most recent being South Africa. It is a vibrant initiative which seeks out young, new voices in science, technology, engineering and maths. The nine finalists attended master classes in communication and public speaking prior to the finals. “They learnt a range ofskills, obviously public speaking, but also a lot about media and camera work too” said Robert Inglis, director of Jive Media, which sponsored the event.

Bloodhound SSC at Scifest Africa

Report by Amaal Salie, Jacek Kaminski & Katja Schreiber

Keeping up with the hype surrounding the Bloodhound SSC Project at this year’s Scifest Africa required a fast pace and sharp mind. Activities organised by the Bloodhound team abounded everywhere: lectures enthralled high school students while workshops saw young prospective mechanics assemble miniature SSC replicas out of cardboard and wood. Both young and old delighted in the thrill of sitting behind the steering wheel of the SSC simulator, vicariously experiencing what lies ahead for SSC driver Andy Green when he attempts to break the world land speed record on South African ground in 2014.

Spiked drinks in Grahamstown

Report by Robyn Perros, Raphaela Linders and Tassyn Munro

In February 2013, a Rhodes student was allegedly raped after anight out at a New Street club. Police suspect that the girl’s drink was spiked by the perpetrator. The incident was poured all over Studentzone but it seems that students have not been affected enough by the incident to be more vigilant of themselves and their fellow “stompers” on the dance floor. “Because we’re in a small town, students think they are above the law and will not be effected by crimes such as these,” says Rat and Parrot owner Mynhardt van Dyk.