The Dean with Sax Appeal What an MBA Taught Me the Prickly Pear
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Rhodos The Dean with 22Sax Appeal What an MBA 21Taught Me The Prickly 43Pear Economy Prof Santy Daya, Dean of Pharmacy A PUBLICATION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ADVANCEMENT DIVISION OF RHODES UNIVERSITY VOLUME 13 | NOVEMBER 2017 Publisher Fundraising 1 R1-billion in 10 years. That’s the goal of the Isivivane Fund Rhodes University Dr Sizwe Mabizela 2 The Vice-Chancellor puts his money where his mouth is Thank you to all the Alumni 4 departments and Radio host and author Eusebius McKaiser remembers dancing on the tables at The Vic; Tanya Accone is making her mark at Unicef; and Mbuso Mtshali, Rich Mkhondo, Sarah Wild and Garth Elzerman talk about their time at Rhodes individuals who contributed to this publication Life in res 9 Where good friendships are made and everything is close by Drama 12 A product of the The magic and mastery of Professor Gary Gordon Communications and Zoology 14 Advancement Division How zebras are making horses sick Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit 15 Email: MA student Siviwe Mhlana thinks grassroots about globalisation [email protected] Biotechnology 16 Imagine using a cellphone app to get the results of a pregnancy or HIV test. That’s exactly what the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre has done Tel: 046 603 8570 Farewell to the Registrar 19 Dr Stephen Fourie leaves Rhodes after 26 years with a wealth of memories Business School 20 Address: Dr Tshidi Mohapeloa believes entrepreneurship cannot be taught, only practised; and a Rhodes MBA changed Rhodes University the way Mudiwa Gavaza sees the role of business Alumni House Pharmacy 22 Santy Daya wasn’t allowed to attend Rhodes because he was classified as black. Now he is Dean of Pharmacy – Lucas Avenue and makes a mean curry Grahamstown SRC 24 Rolihlahla Mabaso speaks about the challenges of his time as SRC President Transformation 26 Communications and Should Rhodes University change its name? It’s a hotly contested debate Advancement Division Unions 29 P.O. Box 94 Staff unions acknowledge transformation but say even more change is needed Grahamstown Education 30 The Dean, Professor Di Wilmot, says improving education is all about enhancing teachers’ skills 6140 Community Engagement 31 Rhodes is hard at work to make sure it both teaches and learns from the rest of Grahamstown ILAM 34 Indigenous music is being brought out of the archives and given a new spin through the International Library of African Music (ILAM) Forensic Entomology 36 You are what flies eat Honorary Doctorates 37 The inspiring deeds and words of reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, artist Penny Siopis, human rights giant Barney Pityana, Burundian humanitarian Marguerite Barankitse and educator Sheila Sisulu Commerce 42 Trout fishing and prickly pears come under the scrutiny of senior lecturer Juniours Marire and Master’s student Sinazo Ntsonge Postdoctoral fellowships 44 People from around the world come to do research at Rhodes Semester exchange 48 Fine Arts student Peter Carrington used happy lights in Oregon; and US exchange student Catherine Brownell and Germany’s Friedrich Zweigle find Rhodes a revelation Rhodents rule 50 Guess how many judges studied at Rhodes? Journalism 52 Ryan Hancocks tells us why journalists matter more than ever; and Bella Boqo and Mandisa Mpulo on what drove them to do their MAs in Economic Journalism Rhodes then 55 Travel back in time to when students moved into the first res on campus and there were treasure-hunts on campus African languages 59 isiXhosa is being widely punted at Rhodes and the university produced the first PhD thesis in isiXhosa Nanotechnology 61 It is like a real-life magic show as dyes are used to fight cancer and protect against arsenic or laser attacks South African dictionary 64 The team keeps track of our diversity, and our history COVER: Professor Santy Daya – see pages 22-23 PICTURE: Sirion Robertson FUNDRAISING VICE-CHANCELLOR INVEST IN RHODES INVEST IN THE FUTURE THE university’s ambitious Isivivane Fund, Absa has kickstarted the Isivivane Fund with Rhodes is the biggest residential university in launched in June 2017, aims to raise R1-billion a R5-million donation to assist 150 students the country and Sompondo said this is its unique in the next 10 years to fund four major projects. who fall outside the National Student Financial selling point. “We need funds to maintain the Aid Scheme catchment, known as the “missing residences;” he said. Grahamstown was not The fund - which takes its name from the Zulu middle”. Simphiwe Funani, head of Absa endowed with beaches and mountains, which proverb “Ukuphosa itshe esivivaneni” (which Business Banking in the Eastern Cape, said the means the residence experience has to be means to throw one’s stone on the pile or bank was proud to be the founding sponsor in satisfying for students, he explained. “We hope monument, i.e. to make a personal contribution ”a partnership which seeks to make it possible to use the centenary campaigns of each house/ to a great common cause) aims to build and for young people to fulfil their academic hall to launch an appeal to former students and maintain lifelong relationships with students, potential, thus enabling them to give back companies.” alumni and donors. meaningfully to society once they graduate”. The endowment part of the campaign entails According to fundraising manager Qondakele Yamkelani Sopapaza, a BSc student from individuals and companies investing in a fund Sompondo, it will fund academically deserving Whittlesea outside Queenstown, is one of the the interest of which will be used to award undergraduate students who cannot afford beneficiaries. “I cannot express my gratitude scholarships in perpetuity. to study at Rhodes; provide scholarships to enough. Absa has made it possible for me increase the postgraduate intake; enhance the to focus on my studies and not be anxious “We always say to people that giving to a student experience at residences; and grow the about how we are going to pay for the rest university is an investment, whereby you can university’s endowment so that after a decade of the fees. The money will assist my mother give a child a scholarship that invests in their HEAVILY INVESTED it can provide scholarships in perpetuity. tremendously as she is the breadwinner, relying lives. This helps make an investment in the on her stokvels to pay for my university fees. I economy of the country. We are a developing There are more than 200 different projects am beyond ecstatic about this opportunity and country with a wide range of challenges. An IN THE FUTURE on campus that make use of funds raised I promise to continue working incredibly hard.” investment in this endowment will produce by various campaigns and these include graduates who will go out and play their part community-engagement projects, research The university has opened its arms to poor in building the economy as well as have the projects and drama activities. students who are academically deserving. potential to generate new knowledge,” he “CALL me Sizwe; that’s who I am,” said the generosity of others and so realised that there domestic worker and is now flourishing in her Now it needs help to fund them. Sompondo said. Dr Sizwe Mabizela, astonishingly informal for are many young people who are academically studies. “She has never failed a course and is “The Give 5 campaign, for example, is one in explained that most Rhodes students come someone of his position, as we settled down to capable who cannot afford to come to Rhodes completing her qualification this year. This is so which students fundraise for a week in March from outside Grahamstown. “We have “We appeal to alumni and companies to chat in his office. But then the Vice-Chancellor to achieve transformative education.“ humbling. I believe in the power of education each year using R5 coins for the pocket money international students from 32 countries, while make this extraordinary university great. We of Rhodes University has a disarming warmth, to bring about change.” fund,” said Sompondo. there are also students from public and private hope this fundraising campaign will ignite and which makes conversing with him such a “I see a lot of young people coming to Rhodes schools. This is not a haven for the rich. We revitalise this 113-year-old university,” he said. delight. Leading a university in South Africa who have nothing other than the clothes He admits he often gets into trouble with the The university already spends R25-million to want to provide the experience of wealthy today is an unenviable job; no matter what on their back and they come here driven by university’s finance department, which requires R30-million a year on student financial aid. students mixing with poor students. In this way, To make a contribution, please go to you do, the critics are ready to pounce. But hope, aspiration and belief that education fee payment, but Mabizela somehow makes a “The Isivivane Fund was launched to raise they will learn from each other about things like www.ru.ac.za/isivivane/waysofgiving Mabizela, in measured tones, talks about his will give them an opportunity to change their plan to fundraise for the students he assists. funds for student financial aid from a third humility and the ability to see above adversity. work with almost religious fervour. own circumstances, and the circumstances of “All the students I’ve stood surety for so far income stream, freeing up the University to use It is important for the poor to come here to be their family. So, as someone who passionately have excelled,” he said. its own funds on other projects,” he said.