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Latin: /'vɒks pɒpjʉliː/ VOICE OF THE PEOPLE



It's Winter and we're Migrating

Exciting web developments are allowing us to migrate to an independent page of the school website within the month.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Die Rol Van Vroue In Die Samelewing deur J Lategan

In ons moderne samelewing is die vrou selfstandig, selfversekerd en sy bevorder haar loopbaan. 'n Paar eeue gelede sou 'n vrou ween die vrye denke as hekse vermoor word.

Vroue het 'n spesifieke rol in die wereld gehad. Een van die vrou se rolle was om kuns te inspireer, om 'n muse te wees. Die bekendste is sekerlik Beatrice Portinari, die vrou wat Dante Alighieri se lewenswerke - La Divina Commedia en La Vita Nuova - geinspireer het.

Dante het Beatrice die eerste keer gesien toe hy nege jaar oud was. Hy het haar eenmaal aanskou en was op haar verlief. Dante het sy hele lewe lank vir Beatrice byna aanbid. Volgens La Vita Nuova het Dante Beatrice net drie keer in sy lewe gesien.

La Divina Commedia is begin toe Dante tussen 35 en 40 jaar oud was. Selfs toe het dit vir Dante gevoel asof beatrice hom dophou en geestelik lei. Sy moes dus 'n enorme impak op Dante gehad het, dat hy haar so onthou het.

Die feit maark Beatrice onmiddelik anders as ander muses. Gewoonlik is die muse se enigste invloed 'n Latynse "illa" voor die gedig; of 'n "laat ons begin, volgens u wil" aan die begin van 'n epos. Maar beatrice was meer as slegs inspirasie. Sy word die onderwerp van Dante we werk - veral in La Vita Nuova.

Dante se sogenaamde aanbidding van Beatrice word in Paradisio, die derde deel van La Divina Commedia duidelik. Beatrice lei vir Dante na God. Dit word beskou as 'n metafoor wat daarop dui dat Dante God gevind het deur sy liefde of agting vir Beatrice.

Die kwessie is dan dus: wat was Beatrice se rol as muse en waarom het sy Dante so sterk beinvloed?

Alhoewel Dante voor die Nederlandse digter, Jacques Perk geleef het, beskryf Perk die Muse in sy gedigte baie goed.

Perk roep na Skoonheid en se dat haar naam heilig is. Perk haal dan die Bybel aan en beveel dat Skoonheid se wil geskied en dat haar heerskappy kom. Die opsomming van hoe die kunstenaar die muse beskou, word aan die einde van die derde strofe gestel; hy se dat, in vergelyking met die Skoonheid, aanbid die aarde geen ander god nie!

Dit is presies hoe Dante oor Beatrice gevoel het, maar hy stel nie eksplisiet dat beatrice aantreklik of slim is nie. is dit dan blote toeval dat Perk deur Mathilde Thomas geinspireer is? Perk het tog meer kontag met Mathilde gehad as Dante met Beatrice - dit verduidelik moontlik waarom hy eksplisiet oor haar skoonheid en wysheid skryf.

Dante word beskou as een van die wereld se beste skrywers en die Divina Commedia as sy heel beste werk. Dit is duidelik dat Dante die Commedia nie sonder Beatrice se inspirasie kon skryf nie. Mens kan dan aflei dat die muse se rol in die samelewing een van die heel belangrikstes is. As Dante nie sonder sy muse kon skryf nie (en Perk ook nie), sal daar dus sonder muses absolutt geen goeie en hoe kuns bestaan nie!

Een van die belangrikste elemente van enige kultuur is hul kuns. As 'n kultuur bestudder word, word die kuns ook bespreek. As kuns 'n fundementele deel van kultuur is, en as kuns nie sonder 'n muse kan bestaan nie, is dit dan vanselfsprekend dat 'n kultuur - 'n samelewing - nie sonder 'n muse en dus vroue kan funksioneer nie.

In die bekende Engels- en Nederlandstalige skrywers, Shakespeare en Nijhoff, se werke, word daar nie na 'n muse verwys soos in Dante en perk s'n nie. Maar tog is daar wel 'n vroulike invloed in party van hulle sonnette. Die sonnette handel oor die ordinere, nie-goddelike vrou as muse. Die werke herinder mens aan die feit dat Beatrice en Mathilde ook maar normale vroue was. Dante en Perk het die vroue, hul muses, in hulle literatuur verhef tot goddelikheid.

Die vrou, selfs die ordinere vrou, speel duidelik 'n groot rol in die samelewing. Kuns en literatuur is vandag in ons post-modernistiesie wereld nog steeds relevant en die vrou se invloed dus belangrik. Daar is tog agter elke man...

Christendom En Islam deur J Lategan

Christendom en Islam is albei gelowe. In ons moderne samelewing is die geloof in God, of 'n god, as argais en irrelevant beskou; en tog is die grootste invloed op ons lewe, die Verenigde State van Amerika, 'n trots Christelike land. Veral na die elfde September 2001 is Islam in Westerse samelewing as 'n "boosheid," 'n "contra-Christelike geloof" of "terroristiese groep" beskou. Moslems is dus, ongelukking, aan stereotipering en diskriminasie blootgestel. In hierdie opstel word die feit dat Christendom en Islam eintlik baie eenders is bespreek.

Die sentrale idee, of "vereiste" vir albei die gelowe is dat mens in God glo. Vele mense is van die mening dat Christene in God glo en Moslems in Allah of 'n "ander god." In alle werklikheid is Alla die Standaard Arabiese woord vir "God", die selfde God waarin Christene glo.

Daar is vele Christelike denominasies en daar is wel verskille in wat hul glo en hoe hulle kerkdienste verloop. maar alle Christendom is in 'n paar konsepte gebaseer. Die konsepte word in the Geloofsbelydenis van Nicea uitgele. Die eerste, en sekerlik die belangrikste reel is: Ons glo in een God, die almagtige Vader, die Skepper van die hemel en aarde, van alle sigbare en onsigbare dinge.

In die Inleiding tot die Koran staa: Alle heerlikehid aan Allah die Allerhoogste, (hy is) vol gendade. Alles is deur hom geskape. Allah word ook in die eerste dele van die Koran nie "Allah" of "God" genoem nie, Hy word na verwys as "Onderhouder van die werelde," "Heer" en "Skepper" -byna die selfdeas in Die Bybel.

Die hoof verskil tussen Christene en ander gelowe, insluitend islam, is Jesus Christus, waarvandan die woord "Christen" kom.

Christene glo dat Jesus "deur die heilige Gees uit die maagd Maria vlees geword [het]: Hy het mens geword." Moslems glo ook dat Maria maagd was toe Jesus deur God se woord aan haar gebore is, maard ie dat Hy die Seun van god is nie. Beide gelowe stel dat Jesus deur God gestuur is om Sy woord aan Israel te verkondig en is die vermoe gegee om wonderwerke uit te voer.

Volgens Christen tekste, is Jesus "vir ons gekruisig; Hy het gely en is begrawe," en die heel belangrikste, "op die derde dag he Hy...opgestaan en na die Hemel opgevaar."
Moslems glo dat Jesus nie gekruisig is nie en dat Hy nie eers dood is nie. islam tekste stel wel dat Jesus hemel toe opgevaar het en dat hy nog steeds lewendig was toe dit gebur het.

Vir Christene is Jesus die Verlosser en God se Seun. Volgens islam was Jesus niks meer as 'n profeet nie. Daar word baie in die Koran na Jesus verwys, en al kon hy wonderwerke uitvoer, glo Moslems dat Hy maar net 'n man was. Mohammad is Islam se hoof profeet.

Mohammed het openbaringe van God ontvang en dit neergeskryf. die skrifte is die Koran en islam is deur Mohammad met die Koran gevesting.

Die Koran is nie, en mag nie, vertaal word die - nie eers in die moderne Arabiese variante nie. wanneer Moslems bid gebruik hulle Klassieke, of "Koraniese", Arabies. Dit is amper presies die teenoorgestelde van die Christen Bybel. Die Bybel is nie deur 'n enkel mens geskryf nie en nie in een enkel taal nie. Die Bybel is 'n versameling tekste wat in Latyn, Grieks, Aramees en Hebreeus geskryf is en is vandag die mees vertaalde boek.

Tenspyte van die ooreenkomste tussen die twee gelowe, tenspyte van die feit dat albei gelowe in die selfde God glo, is daar eindloos konflik tussen Christene en Moslems. En tog staan daar in die Koran dat "almal wat in die Koran glo, en diegene wat Joodse skrifte volg, en Christene en Sabiers - en enige iemand wat in God glo...sal vanaf God hulle belonging kry; en hulle sal geen vrees he nie."

Was Apartheid A Holocaust by N Smith

The word Apartheid is an Afrikaans word directly translated into the concept of 'separateness'. Apartheid can be defined as a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. This is similar to ehd iscrimination that happened against the Jews, homosexuals and other discriminated parties in the Holocaust.

The National Party in the 1948 election adopted "Apartheid" as a slogan. A slogan is a phrase used in advertising to catch attention, like the Nazi's used propaganda to sell their ideas to the German nation and divert the mindset of the public. Is this not similar to what happened in South Africa?

Human rights commission reported to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission submitted in 1977 that 7 000 people of colour died during Apartheid. From 1990 to 1994 14 000 people of colour died. A fruther 17 4220 died in relation to Apartheid from 1994 to 2000. Even though Apartheid had ended.

Juliette Pieres found similarities between the Holocaust and Apartheid in her new book. A few examples of the Apartheid legislations that are parallel to the Nuremburg laws are as follows:

Marriages between Jews and Germans were forbidden as it was in South Africa with the mixed marraiges act that stated that white people were not allowed to marry people of other races.

Although the NP did not envisage a specific hair and eye colour and physique as the perfect race like Hitler envisaged the Aryans, it is apparent that this law expressed the NP's feelings that they felt that white people were the perfect race and that people of colour were inferiour.

The group areas act brought about physical separation between races by creating the homelands whereas the Nazis placed Jews and other discriminated groups in concentration camps.

People of colour and Jews were both exempt from public beaches, benches and voting. They were not allowed to go to the same schools and unviersities as Aryans or white people. People of colour were only seen as fit for labour that does not require any skill. The same was principle was applied to the Jews, as they were exempt from the workforce.

Juliette Peires states that ther was no attempt "to impose anything like a final soclution" during Apartheid. One can say that less people were killed in the Apartheid than in the Holocaust but is that not all due to the leader? A strong leader like Hitler was able to get the public rearing for action with his strong speeches whereas the NPs leader was not as strong as Hitler and not get as far as quickly. The mere fact that Apartheid took so much longer to bring down that the Holocaust and that Hitler went so much further than the NP shows that Hitler had the support of nations to put his laws into place and murder 6 million Jews.

Although more people were killed in the Holocaust it does not mean that this even in History was more devastating than Apartheid. The principle of both Apartheid and the Holocaust remains the same; two government bodies desperate for power and recognition from the public.

Think of all the people who didn't die in Apartheid. Do you think life was easy for them? And what about the generations to follow? To this day we still suffer from the effects of Apartheid. Mass deaths may sound a lot more threatening but surely living in torture is far worse? Because of one decision gnerations to come will pay for the mistakes that were made.

Valentine's Dance Feb 2011 by A Hess

What a night of Romance, Dancing and very loud pumping music bursting out of every speaker, the Valentine's Dance was a night of dry ice and flashing lights to remember.

From the romance of Thursday's balloons and flowers being given out all the way back to the distance memory of the Bachelor and Bachelorette competition on Tuesday, the week of valentine's was a week of love. At the dance the visuals were amazing, you walked through the white arch entrance with little red hearts all around it all the way along a red carpet that made you feel like you were walking into an exclusive club. Then you got to step into the dance area, a wave of music hit you, the DJ was up on the stage controlling the music for the dancers below in the dry ice. The tuckshop was constantly bursting with people who wanted something to drink after jumping and dancing around for a good hour.

In the middle of the night the Bachelor and Bachelorette were announced. As Daniel baker and margaret Scott got their pink, fluffy light-up crowns they desceneded onto the dance floor for a spotlight dance to some slightly softer, more romantic music that soon all other couples join in. The hall was no longer our school hall but a ballroom where a mass of couples were spinning eacho ther around gracefully to music. A fairytale. The girls were dressed beautifully in a variety of colours and styles of dresses and even the guys dressed up for the evening. The entire room was filled with princes whisking their princesses away to happily ever after as the couples continued to dance.

The night ended with a room full of bodies moving on what seemed to be a floor made of clouds, lights dancing around them.

The Sentence by N Smith

Burning tongues of fire lick at my feet,
I turn my head to the quickening beat.
Cold fingers of ice caress my knee,
I look down, but there's nothing to see.

The feathers of touch tickle my soul,
Aroused I inquire; the beats grow weary.
Softly and quickly my arms turn to lead,
I ponder over all that I've said.

Questions and statements all mixed in with hate,
Depressed and disheartened I embrace my fate.
Moments of silence creep in with the cold,
While fiery glares keep my life on hold.

With desperate pleas I lay down the truth,
I slowly bring forth the sickening proff.
Sadly, alas, the gesture's too late,
My life has been captured by sugary bait.

WRITING COMPETITION: Creative Writing "The Dream Giver"

I spend my time swooping over rooftops, through bedroom windows and down chimney pipes to get to you. I climb slowly towards your head, carefully, with anticipation. Who knows what I will find, if I manage to find anything at all.

Your minds work in mysterious ways, ways that I will never understanding even though they are part of my daily life. Although, i do not think you could say that I am really alive, I would say it is more of an existence. I live an exciting and invigorating existence but an existence all the same. You on the other hand life a full and adventurous life. You wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. You get to eat meals and use the bathroom. "What?" you are probably thinking, "Our lives are much more exciting than that!" But you see when you cannot perform these strange acts, they start to fascinate you.

I am what you call the 'Dream Cather', but I see myself as more of a 'Dream Giver'. I visit you at night to sift through your thoughts until I come to the one which has subconsciously been occupying your mind. I then gently coax it forward into your conscious thoughts, where I let it take on a mind of its own, as it forms a dramatic and fanciful dream. These dreams can range from nightmares to the stuff that daydreams are made of but for me the most rewarding dreams are those that make you smile in your sleep. To see a tickle of a smile creep across your face until it is a fully-fledged grin is something to behold, something I am blessed enough to see often.

I take pride in the fact that I do not get attached to the humans I visit, I do my job and then I leave. That all changed on a dark, starless, Winter's night. I had struggled to get into the man's head because he had obviously not wanted visitors that night. He was trying to shut out the bogeyman. This is the only downfall of my job; I do not get to choose what people dream about and yet I have to watch their pain through the nightmares. This particular man had had a hard life filled with turmoil and now he had found hismelf in an old, rusted warehouse, all alone. his anguish and pain was evident on his face as his nightmares played out in his mind. I sifted though his thoughts, desperately, hoping to find that he had a happy memory to use as his dream, but I could not find one. All I found was despair and turmoil. A pot of mashed up emotions and terrifying experiences!

And I wept. For the first time in my existence I bowed my head and wept. As I looked at that poor man I felt that there was only one thing to do and that one things broke all the rules. I sifted through my bank of memories from people's minds all over the world until I came to one filled with hope and love, and then I did the unthinkable, I planted it in his mind. I put it right there in his dream space and stood back and watched as it flitted across his vision. And then it came, the best part of all, the smile.

I still do not know if that was the right thing to do, if it changed his life for the better or not but all I know is that for the first time, in a long time, he had a moment of calm in the storms of his life.

Sins Of Us by S Swart

With the way the world turns, the way that it's spun
I fear for the lives of everyone the way it's done.
We had the wisdom of what to come it was said,
Natural enemies' fire and ice become surrounds for our bed.
If we burn in the fire of the sun or drown in melted ice, it's the sins of us
If we die from under a gun or starve from the dry earth it's the sins of us.
GOD save us from what I've done we're just waiting for the ends
Where we go next is Your choice it all depends.
We suffocate from air that once was so pure some of us tried,
But they wouldn't face the truth they just blocked and lied.
For the last time our leaders will speak and recount every war
The earth's beauty was not to be taken for granted or fought anymore.
The ocean is now as dry as rust
No such life from the sins of us.

Freedom by S Storey

Five hundred years of stone-faced wall
Always new rules to install
Soffocating my smothered soul
I want to fightthe curbed control

But I cannot find the strength
I am weak from the restraint
my heart beats faster
my spirit is pale and faint

i stand on the loose bricks
twenty storeys high
wind rustling my hair
i take the plunge

the fall is my last
sense of
freedom

Boarders Get It Right by P Viljoen

This is indeed a year for breaking the old and moulding the new, here at Somerset College we have a long-standing opinion which never publically voiced: Day scholars are actually amazingly jealous of the Boarders.

Now if you ever say this in front of said "day scholar" you will be given plenty of arguments and reasons as to why this is absolutely not true (denial0, and for most of their reasons I would agree, being a boarder sounds like a hard life, but they never mention the one resounding fact which makes a boarding house that much more appealing.

It is the fact that at the end of your five years at college you leave the school, taking with you whatever you have gained (if anything) from your five years of education. The question never answered by day boys and girls is "What do I leave behind?"

Those privileged enough to say they are from Somerset College boarding houses can tell you the answer. Of course each boarder leaves behind a puzzle piece of this legacy but this year's matric boarders are paving the way for setting new and wholesome traditions and raising the standards to new, even more yellow, heights.

The first weekend of term saw the matrics and grade 8s spending a whole weekend together where mentees were shown the ropes. Much bonding took place (helped along by the duct-tape in the three-legged race). Never before in my five years in these houses have I seen a grade 9 and matric group interact so closely -we warn the school that this is a grade 8 group to keep your eye on for great things.

The boarders are doing things right and as testimony to this Helderberg is already working towards winning their spirit for the grade 8 gala, the interhouse athletics overall as well as the interhouse tennis.

The boarders are not only creating tradition and pride in their own house but challenge the rest of the school to follow their example... if they can.

Valentine's Day by N Smith

Crowds of anxious girls huddle together in small clusters, united for one sole purpose. Suppressed feelings bubble to the surface and boil over at the anticipation of what is to come; the thought of a gift from that special someone, a friend, a loved one, a secret admirier. For a second the crowd is hushed while they await the first receiver, and then from there on the procedure continues like clockwork.

We've all witnessed it, been subject to its wonders, but has Valentine's Day gotten out of control? No longer is it just a day to celebrate our loved ones, but also our friends and those we desperately wish to impress in the hope of starting new friendships, and that is all okay, but it has gotten out of hand and is now just a day to show off our wealth, whether financial or in the nubmer of friends we have.

People prance around in their pinks, reds and whites, fallen into a love coma where all sensibility is lost to the antics of Valentine's Day. And what about the cost? Is your love or friendship worth more if the price tag is more impressive? What happened to simple cards with words of affection? The truth is that the effort is simply non-existent. Why waste your time spending hours making cards for your friends and lvoed one, when you can flash your cash in their faces?

It's okay to spend money and appreciate your loved ones, but please, get your motives straight! On a whole we have become too wrapped up in materialistic possessions, cold, hard possessions that neither love nor feel emotion. The best path to take to impress someone is not via your wallet. It comes straight from the depths of your heart.