"Afrikaans versus Modern Society" by N Smith

Undoubtedly, one of the thoughts that has at some time crossed our minds as students is about the relevance of learning Afrikaans as a second language.

At school, every day, as a citizen of South Africa, this idea of Afrikaans being a relevant part of educating the younger generations is forced upon our society.

Second to English, Afrikaans always takes highest priority over other subjects. I ask you, is language not an art? Then for what reason does Afrikaans take preference over the cultural arts such as dramatic and visual art? For a student, failing cultural arts is seen as a non-event. The subjects are seen as irrelevant in schooling and supposedly these subjects 'get in the way of more important subjects' when in fact they provide creative stimulus, which inspires us and invigorates us.

When the Afrikaans grades start to drop extra lessons are quickly fitted into every free opening in the child's timetable -third language periods, prep time and even during sport practices, if all else fails, which robs the child of what little freedom they have. I can understand these measures being taken for a first language such as English. After all, it is the universal language. Without English, all other areas, such as history, where good vocabulary is needed for essay writing to sustain good grades, fails. It is even needed in mathematics in order to understand the language of numerals and decimals. How else could a problem sum be completed short of mathematics maturing and solving its own problems?

Overseas, Afrikaans is barefly recognised as a language of importance whatsoever, so why should it be learned here? The Chinese's growing economy will soon be dominating Europe, so should we not be learning Mandarin instead? Already, approximately eighty percent of our goods have "made in China" inscribed on them somewhere in small letters. All students with knowledge of Mandarin would have a higher chance of finding a job overseas in the future, and a fighting chance of being accepted as a successful individual in the work place. Even those who do not immigrate will lose interest in a minority language such as Afrikaans when pursuing a tertiary education in their home langauge, and their knowledge of the language will gradually fade to black, so why waste precious time teaching it to them now?

Out of the eleven official languages in our country, only one of them is instinctively assigned as a compulsory second language in the Western Cape and is seen as more important than all the others, and yet nobody wonders for what reason this is so.

I have nothing against those with an Afrikaans background but merely ask you why the language must be forced on those are not interested in it? To ensure that it does not die out? Is it part of a minority's culture that they feel others would gain value sharing in the experience of? If the public would rather learn Xhosa or Zulu or any of the other official langauges as a secondary langauge should they not be allowed to decide for themselves which they feel is a more advantageous avenue of language study?

I have no problem with Afrikaans speaking schools and universities who give classes solely in this language, specifically for the Afrikaans members of these institutions, but those who do not take naturally to Afrikaans, should be allowed to choose to be educated in one of the official languages that they feel is more representative of their own individual background. Langauge is a part of culture, and if we should be allowed to choose our own religions should the same not be allowed for langauge choice? Choosing a language that does not define us individually is trying to be someone we are not, and if we are allowed to choose our own languages it will impact positively on our ability to express ourselves freely.

Afrikaans is a completely different langauge to English and has its humorous sayings that tickle the nation's pride, but for the youth of South Africa who find Afrikaans does not come easily to them, it is difficult to access these contextual expressions when speakers are accustomed to other langauges that are humorous in completely different ways.

Some public figures really make a language come alive, but I am sorry to say that we are lacking in those figures in society, and the remaining, who do understand its authenticity are reducing the language's reputation in society. What our country needs is someone who excels in Afrikaans who will put this langauge "out there" and rekindle the desire to speak it. The rest of us, if asked to write a creative essay in Afrikaans, I assure you, will struggle to find inspirational ways to express ourselves as the difference between English and Afrikaans is so vast.

Do not get rid of Afrikaans as a secondary language in schools, but offer it alongside the other official languages of South Africa, with the added choice of internationally budding languages such as Mandarin, so that those who want to learn globally accepted languages are given the choice to pave the path to their future.

"Confession" by S Linkov

Everyone's broken something.
Me, a rat's skull.
I'd found it, you know, just walking.
Thought I might keep it. With hollow teeth and those
enameled hoops where its eyes should be
and behind, space with no brain to speak of
it never made a sound. Maybe we'd be
friends.

I'm most myself when I'm breaking things.
I buck toy horses till their legs snap right off,
flush pills downt he drain. When I was five I
stood on a tadpole to see what would happen.
I'm a job-satisfied torturer. I'm a bawling
crass god. When I broke my leg, I laughed.

I hid the skull in my pack. As I took it out
white powder spilled out of its nose like
blood. Its teeth were jagged, the hoops
not quite hoop-like, one jaw I couldn't find.
My foot was Levite-angry. Splinters flew to
the coasts of Isreal. Then I got my breath back.

It's stupid. I tell myself to grow up. I started
a pottery class once. Fingering air bubbles
I made the children cry. I sketched a nude,
gave her a rack to lie on. Tore a book in two
to show just how strong I was. But that rat...
You really don't give half a damn, do you?

"The voice of the trees" by A Wellman

As dusk set in, the sky burned crimson. Electrifying the air to the point where it was almost tangible. Setting the eerie yet perfect and repetitious atmosphere for, "story time". The human ear, it is just the mere wind, but to Nature, it is the excited and incessant rambling of the young ones.

To clarify Story Time: It is the sharing of knowledge. Shared by the story teller. The story teller always being a tree. A tree who is the wisest and oldest of them all.

The pixies join from their hollows, the soil rests where it is, the animals and plants find harmony amongst each other, the sky relaxes, the sun takes a deep breath, swalloing the remaining day, the water stills and mother earth smiles at her offspring. All is calm and all is serene. To the human ear the wind has died to a simple breeze, but to Nature the lecturer has begun his speech.

"Emily. Emily. Emily, my most beloved friend. Oh she was beautiful. Golden twirls that caressed her delicate face, while her sparkling eyes enticed anyone closer.
Emily came to me when she was very little. She came to me with her father, he tied a tyre to my branches and it made me very happy. Little Emily would swing for hours, smiling and laughing. Her locks flowing back and forth. She came to me with her mother, they were so similar. Same happy, care-free smile. The one that could make anyone smile alone no matter their problems. They would have tea parties under my shade, sometimes her teddies would join. They were very friendly and would chatter away with everyone, silently. She even came to me with boys, but that was when she was older. They would sit in each others' arms against my trunk and talk for hours. Until the sky turned pink and the mist swept across the forest floor.
Then she came to me in tears for her father had died. She sat in my branches crying and crying.
Eventually her mother came through the surrounding trees and took her home in her sleep. I didn't see her after that for a very long time. Years even.

Until one day I woke to Emily cradled over something that was nestling in my roots. It let out a high pitched laugh, identical to Emily's. It was Emily's new daughter.
I was so proud of how little Emily had turned out. They sat in my roots just enjoying life. It gave me great pleasure. That was the last day I ever saw Emily, but not Rebecca.

Rebecca came to me, just as her mother had done, and she still does."

Just then something rustled in the bushes across from the story tree. A beautiful, curly blonde-haired girl emerged and strode towards the old tree. She raised a hand and rested in gently on the chipped bark.
"Hello there old friend," Rebecca smiled.

To Rebecca, the wind brushes past her, covering and embracing her.

"My Dreams" by A Hess

What's the point in dreaming
If the dream will disappear?
What's the point in believing
If it is something that you fear?

Can you imagine a field with roses
Without any thorns?
To see forever sunsets, nights of stars
And kissing dawns.

To forever be enchanted
By the magic that surrounds us
Without ever thinking of the fear
That constantly threatens to drown us

No slow and creeping insanity
That brings us tears and pain
But I guess it's not a problem
If you were never sane

To have a dream of candy-floss
Sugar fairies and happiness
To never have to think of others,
And to never have to stress.

To dream of fields of sugar roses,
And a soft blue sky
To live in bliss forever
And never have to die.

I cannot escape reality
But yet under silver moon-beams
I can still allow one pleasure
To the safety of my dreams.

"A Tea Party" by A Hess

A never-ending tea party
Is happening in Times Square
So what if we're all ghosts
And the living do not care!

Who needs to breathe?
Or who needs to touch?
It makes no difference
When we're all laughing so much!

To heck with the living
Enjoy your death!
If a living being could hear our jokes
They'd run out of breath!

Who needs drinks
or who needs food
when the guests can remove their heads
to lighten the mood?

When you're around forever
And insanity isn't rare
Might as well make the best of it
And have a never-ending tea-party in the middle of Times Square!

"Football at College" by A Hendricks

Football; soccer; the beautiful game. It's the world's most popular sport, yet also one the College prides itself in lacking.

The College provides almost every other sport possibly desired by high school students, except the option many want. Granted, girls are given the opportunity, however in all honestly football is a male-dominated sport. The majority of schools across the country offer it, so I propose the question: why not at Somerset College?

I understand there is a petty fear of losing numbers in rugby and hockey as many boys will want to participate in soccer. Nevertheless, I highly doubt the prominent players of those sports will want to leave them to play football. Let the footballers play football and the others continue with their original options. This seems a vague solution but it holds water if we have try-outs. Have try-outs for a first team football team (as was done for rugby) and then let the players who qualify -and only those- be part of the team.
This option is feasible as it requires a maximum of around fifteen players who will represent the College's Football First Team, while the majority of other students continue in their respective sports, as per usual.

Tradition is something valuable, but not when it hinders progress. If we are to advance and diversify as a school the least we can do is let the boys participate in the beautiful game. Needless to say, only those who thoroughly deserve to play will end up playing through the process of proposed try-outs.

People may argue that other schools around us don't offer the sport and therefore, why should we? I'll tell you why, because we are Somerset College: because we pride ourselves on being leaders, not followers.

Feel free to express your comments, ideas on how to deal with this issue and to present further options, respectfully.

"Pop Culture and the Middle Mind" by M Goldsmid

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. "Doctor, it's too late."

Culture is dead, and pop culture and consumerism have risen from the ashes like the twin, slack-jawed, drooling phoenixes of shallow desires and pretention. Desire? The word itself means nothing anymore, like similar things it is now nothing but hollow fakery, manipulated into a marketable product. So-called "modern culture" is mostly mindless content, and not culture in any real sense of the word. We are fed the monotonous drivel of our own disenchantment and ennui, thus, we no longer think. So, how is it that we were bled of meaning, of emotional substance, and reduced to the gratuitous emptiness of a deflated, wretched middle-mind?

We are beset by images and ideals created out of corporate ambition and representing greed, sexual or otherwise. We are deviously manoeuvred into a sense of incompleteness and lack, when really what we lack is any sense of real meaning or value. This is achieved via the flashing screens of cell phones, televisions and computers that blast mindless, manipulative drivel at us with an incessant fervour. And so, we are unwittingly drawn into it, becoming fools of our own ambition, willing participants in our own slavery. We pathetically attempt to adopt many of the characteristics and expectations that are projected onto us, and we lose our sense of self. All the while, the vapid nattering of cell phone conversation and the mindless chirps of Twitter blur the distinction betweent he real and the virtual, and human communication is degraded into a jumble of weakn contractions and asanine repetition. FYI, like OMG.

We don't know where we are or where we're going, what we should feel or think. This is precisely because all these things have been imposed on us. Far from the blunt authoritariansim of bygone eras, the fascism of the modern age is far subtler, and in a different, insidious way just as damaging. Before we were confined by values and ideals that at least served some purpose, however narrow that might have been. In the modern age the deathly face of apathy and dissolution screams at us behind every beaming, trashy romantic comedy and shallow spoof, behind every slavishly worshipped pop goddess. We are imprisoned by our own lack of originality.

This manifests in how we desperately adopt any semblance of pop culture and ego-material. We are walking advertisements for companies and conglomerates that have nothing to do with us and we perceive ourselves as validated by their labels. What is more, we define our sense of self in relation to the rest of the world by these things. Under the guise of individualism and expressionwe conform to social stereotypes that are ultimately irrelevant, incorrect and often harmful. The same trend can be continued into music and language. The middle-mind has infected almost every area of life, and only a few alert critics are aware of it - or aware at all.

And so, we are stranded in a technocratic cultural wasteland while the ghoulish faces of vacuous and plasticised pop icons and ghastly Hollywood creations stare us into a corner of morbid isolation. We have the illusion of being in control of our lives, but are at a psychic level, lost, aneasthetized and helpless. We are lethargic, dispassionate and willingly so -blinded by our own idiocy and every stereo is blasting the imbecilic, thumping sound of our own damnation.

"The Unofficial Survivor's Guide to Bieber Fever" by C Thwaites

The aim of this post is just to open people's ears to some awesome music out there that happens to be made by Christians, that is not of the annoyingly-repetitive chapel variation, but rather something you would want to listen to in your spare time. I tried to put something in for everybody whethere you're into screamo, alternative, acoustic, hip hop, Justin Bieber -it's all here (except Bieber... I think we've all had enough of her, right?).

If you are like me then when you hear that these bands are Christian you kind of cringe, and am not sure you want to be preached at for three or four minutes for eleven tracks, so the bands I chose were the bands you would least expect to be god-fearing, with lyrics like: "just boiling in my blood," you wouldn't expect Paramore to be Christian but they very much are. If I've left out any of your favourite bands that happen to be Christian then please feel free to put it in the comments and spread the music.

Alternative Rock:
PARAMORE
Paramore is a female-fronted (Hayley Williams) alternative rock band but is definitely not defined by it, for Hayley's voice overpowers even some of the best male-fronted bands. the lyrics are sincere, deep and are all hidden behind upbeat guitar riffs and catchy melodies, leaving you wanting more.
Their first album "All We Know" was made when they were all still in high school and it shows, their second album has to be their best: "Riot!" where they find their sound. Having gone multiplatinum with RioT!, their success did not end at their latest album: "Brand New Eyes" having also turned platinum has kept the band together. This can be seen in their song, "Ignorance" which contains some spiteful lyrics, but the album is not centered around this and it takes a turn for the better in songs like "Looking Up" which shows the band overcoming of their differences and continuing to write amazing music.

THE ALMOST
Underoath drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie branched out almost five years ago in an effort to create The Almost, a side project that was a significant step away from the metalcore sound of his original band. The Almost follows more of a traditional pop rock sound, which certainly allows Gillespie's clean vocal skills to have more of a focus -and deservedly so. The Almost has released two EPs since the initial full-length release (an impressive feat after only a few year's time)

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/the_almost/monster_monster_index.html

HOUSE OF HEROES
House of Heroes has not only crafted one of the most intricate, yet catchiest pieces of music to come along in years, but they have also written what is a compelling World War II parallel designed to make us re-examine pre-existing notions on faith, God and country. "The End Is Not The End" is a lush undertaking... thought-provoking, engaging and at times, even epic.
Sounds like... an inventive, sometimes schizophrenic mix of alternative rock and power pop styles that resemble parts of Reliant K, Edison Glass, Weezer, Sanctus Real, Phantom Planet and Green Day.

House of Heroes still manages to keep their alternative pop/rock accessible and clearly grounded by their Christian worldview.

http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/TheEndIsNotTheEnd2009.asp

Post Hardcore:
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
Originality. From the generic "chug-chug" breakdowns every five seconds, to the annoying pig squealing, some may think there's no hope for the genre. That is where Sleeping With Sirens comes into play. Sleeping With Sirens are a young five-piece band who know how to write good music. Their debut album, "With ears to See and Eyes to Hear" displays just that. This ten song album displays so much talent, yet so much potential to take the music world by storm.

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t+1630462

FYLEAF
Flyleaf's sound is impressive. They are a hard rock band with a female vocalist, but they get away from that Amy Lee sound that has ruled the female rock scene. The music itself reminds me of Chevelle. It is drop-tuned guitars, heavy riffs, chubbing chords, etc. It is intense music. The music blends extremely well with the singer's voice. This is the first release by Flyleaf. the band is made up of four guys, a drummer, a bass player and two guitarists. Then of course, the female vocalist. Each song is a powerful and unique experience. You find yourself falling in love with the band after each new song. Another similarity to Chevelle is how the singer screams, but it is not something you'll hear in every song. She has an amazing scream, but it is not overused.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/flyleaf/flyleaf/index.html

Metal:
RED
End of Silence 9RED) is a very rare breed of an album. Red couples blistering long metal rock songs with those heart wrenching ballads. The story behind the album is admitting to one's mistakes and accepting Redemption. The power ballad "Already Over" starts on piano and Michael barnes sings of how lost he is without whatever you interpret it as. The chorus swings in the electric guitar as Mike wails that it's already over for him. In retrospect, the last song of the album, "Already Over, Part 2" has the singer finally finding the redemption that he craved. the perspective in "Lost" has the singer telling God that he's lost and needs His help. The hit single "Breathe into Me" is a wailer.

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/14796/Red-End-Of-Silence

Skillet:
COMATOSE
Sounds like... a fusion of contemporary hard rock and metal with pop balladry, recalling the work of Evanescense, Creed, Jonah33, Seether, Seventh day Slumber and Stained At A Glance.
With top-notch production and faith-inspired themes relevant to a broader audience, Comatose just might be the most accessible album yet from Skillet, though some of the pop tendencies are a bit too soft.

http://www.thefish.com/music/reviews/11619475/

"Is this friendship?" by J Chambers

Is this what friendship is meant to be like,
this constant affection,
so harsh that anyone who enters into it
is smothered and latched onto,
taken under.
The constant fighting over unimportant issues
or who's right?

The rivalry for people's attention,
the same someone that all of you like, always.

The unspoken competition over holidays, events, dresses
and boys, they always have to be better.

The fact that they never want to talk about it.
How can they expect you to drop it, to forget?
It's impossible.

The worst of it, however, is not in the issues, but in the repetition.
It would be bearable if it was every now and then,
but it seems to be consistent these days.
And I can't get away for a while
because I think I kind of love them you know.
In a way, they make my day interesting
and without them, life would be boring.

I just wish that I didn't love them,
because it's that or I'd have to ask them to change,
and I can't ask them to change you know,
because I'd hate it if I had to change.
I'm myself, and I like that.

Day by day I'm tested and know
that soon I'm gonna blow,
but for now, my love for them suppresses my anger,
my pain, my tears
and my heartache.

This is not friendship, it is the beginning
of a sisterhood.

"Memory of the Best" by E Pienaar

"It was a promise, no in fact it was more than that. It was put forward as a statement. Something of certainty, not so?" The old beshrivelled man held his audience's attention with beady squinting eyes that glared out from under the wisened wrinkles that wreathed them in the centre of his old face. He was not a large person. His black, thick-soled soles barely touched the floor as he sat at the table and the long coat that swatched him seemed to suffocate him.

"One would have thought that in a small village such as this where everyone knows everyone down to the names of the geese that swim in the park's pond, you would have remembered a man as marvellous as I."
Looking at him no-one in the village's bar thought that the old man looked anything near marvellous. On closer inspection his teeth were tinged brown, his eye whites yellow and his skin and clothes covered in grime. In fact, close inspection was hardly necessary as even in a passing glance the unkeptness of the old man jumped out, mugged and left one feeling dazed.

It was the village speaker who first responded, "Aye, that is how it is, it is, so we would know you; if we should we would. An' seeing as 'ow nobody 'ere knows you, you never did live 'ere you didn't!"

"Right so Mr Speaker, truly spoken and well at that!" proclaimed Mrs Baker, who baked cakes and buns in Mr Baker's bakery, turning on the old man. "You, old dear, are either an atrocious liar or quite mad and most definitely a semblance of appearance is not one of your marvellous qualities I'm afraid. Quite rude as well I might add, not even supplying a name."

"Well spoken? Madam, I beg to differ! Mr Speaker, pardon me for saying so but, the fact of the matter is that you cannot speak." Mr Speaker stood up indignantly, his face red and eyes bulging.

His words came through gritted teeth, "We Speakers have been speaking since me father's father's father's father. It 'ent easy what I do, you think you could do a better job?"

"Well that goes without saying, but say it I shall! My mastery of the spoken word can hardly be compared to the primitive grunts of your rasping voice!"
The man stood up to his rather unimpressive height, "Mr Saul Bester!" he declared, turning back to Mrs Baker, "And best you remember it!"

"Are we human?" by N du Santos

There are many conspiracies which make us fearful of what each day will bring. Conspiracies such as "global warming", "the end of the world in 2012" and the search for "new planets". But while more than half the world focuses on these fantastical things, real people are dying, suffering every day in the streets of every country.

Countries spend millions researching our world just to conspire about when it is all going to end. We have been shown things that don't exist as an effort to make us fearful about things we don't know about -and this non-reality has become more of a focus in our lives than Reality. The reality that in many third world countries thousands of people are dying every day due to poverty, hunger and war. But all we care about is our own end in 2012 and about making sure that the planet survives, not its people.

The US government has spent a lot of money during the past few years on building spacecraft to reach the moon, on developing instruments to study stars and other planets but the findings are always either hidden from the public, or the public is fed meaningless information regarding these 'findings'. During the Cold War, Russia and America focused made their priority the construction of spaceships to reach the moon -costing more money ever spent by a government on a single project in history.

But in the real world, like Zimbabwe, people get beaten up and thrown off their land for standing up their government. People die for blood diamonds and oil.

The fact that we do not care as much about the suffering of real people as we do about what we can achieve, where we can go and what can kill us proves that humanity has learned to love material things more than we love Humanity.

We should forget about spending money on these projects and focus on looking after People. Governments should spend more money on helping its people than on trying to outshine other national authorities. We must learn to think about others.

"Eternal Memory" by L Kingwill

The box is nearly full. Straightening up, I glanced around, looking for anything I missed. It's all here: your glasses, watch, empty wallet, shaving gear, a belt that somehow hadn't been taken with the rest... it seems surprisingly little. I stand still, suddenly aware of sounds travelling up from downstairs. I probably should have been down there ages ago, but I don't move. Instead I anxiously look around again, seeking a distraction, an escape, before reality can penetrate completely. It's the letters that catch my eye; the gleaming gold "PHOTO ALBUM" reflecting the sunlight. I stare for a second, hesitating, then take it off the shelf. The worn red leather is rough and heavy in my hands.

The first is a baby photo, you're perhaps a week old. You sleep with your fists clenched, eyes squeezed tightly shut. A Winnie the Pooh dummy has fallen out ofyour mouth, forming a damp spot on the pillow. "First night in own cot!" reads the inscription below.

Three pages further and you have a fierce frown, flying down a short tar driveway. Eyes wide, mouth open and blonde curls flying, you grip your first bicycle's handlebars tightly, your legs kicked out high above the safety wheels. A red superman cape streams behind you: party hats and cups litter the background. A woman in a floral skirt bends over to pick them up, her back to the camera.

The Matric dance and my entrance. It's the only photo I agreed to that night. The bright light shines on us, you with your tailor-made tux, easy smile and those tussled curls. I smiled timidly in my homespun dress and borrowed high heels, trying to look confident. The jewel-coloured fabrics draping the surroundings seem to enclose us into a perfect portrait.

A wedding photo, taken from a distance without us realizing it. It's late in the evening already, my satin dress gleams faintly in the darkness. Your outline blends into the lake behind us. I lean with my head against your chest, your hand is about to touch my hair.

There we are in Park Town maternity clinic. A nurse must have taken the picture - idiotic but proud and excited smiles shape both our faces. Between us, only a small arm manages to push its way through the swaddle of blankets, reaching up its tiny fingers.

The last page, again in hospital. No smiles now, no matter how hard you tried. The fluorescent light reflects off your bald head, your sunken eyes stare despondently at the camera. Next to you are drawings of stick figures in bright pastel colours. It comes back to me now, the smell of the disinfectant, the sound of crying children and chatting nurses, the machine's endless beep beep beep...

The album falls through my shaking hands to land with a thud on the floor. I stare hard at it, aware that the picture is beginning to blur. From downstairs the sound of murmured voices and clinking glass drifts up to me, surrounds me, breaking through the haze, forcing me to listen. I rush through the glass doors onto the veranda, gasping the fresh sea air. It cools the tears on my face.

His footsteps are so light that I not realise he is there until a small warm hand slips into mine.

"Mommy?" Anxious grey eyes stare up at me from under a mop of tussled blonde hair.
"Mommy, Ouma says it's time to come down now."

For a second, I stare across the street to the constant rolling waves of the ocean.

"It's alright, honey. I'm coming."

I let him lead me back into the room and downstairs. When we enter, I smile.