RGHS NEWSPAPER by the girls THE for the girls GR A PEVINE MARCH 2 0 2 0

TWENTY TWENTY: the year of visionaries e d ’ s n o t e helena happy scrolling & lekker lees... by means of consistently fresh content. happy belated 2020, you special bunch! special bunch! happy belated 2020, you

the grapevine committee of 2020 is beyond pumped to the grapevine committee

serve you gals this year & our mission remains to keep serve you gals this year & our mission remains you informed about the world you’ll step into after Matric RHENISH WORLD- LIFE CHANGERS & W A V E - MAKERS TRAVEL CAPTURE

WORLDY- WISE

o n o u r a g e n d a Buckle up for Mozam t r a v e l India The Philippines

In 2017 I went to Mozambique to a i d a t a n o r p h a n a g e . Armed with my camera and the enthusiastic d e s i r e t o capture the stories of their lives, I didn’t expect that by the end of the trip, my heart would be the thing they had c a p t u r e d i n s t e a d . . .

BY EMILY HART CAPTURED In the middle of rural Mozambique, I found Why sugarcoat something that’s too bitter to myself sitting on a wooden bench with a begin with? Adelina was picked up and four year old Mozambican orphan on my taken to this orphanage, run by a warm lap. Her bare feet were covered in a layer of hearted, generous missionary couple, not red dust from playing outside. Her pink long before I arrived. Over the next few striped outfit almost matched this colour, years, these people would come to know and the colour of the beads in her hair. Adelina like a daughter and she’d learn to Perfectly balanced in her two tiny hands trust them. But, for now, they were just was a book. A children's book about some strangers. So was I. Yet as I sat there, reading this children’s book with her, I felt happy life she couldn’t relate to. connected, captured by the tenacity of this Four year old Adelina was found crying in a young girl’s spirit.. graveyard next to her mother’s corpse. I know that’s harsh to hear, but it’s the truth. t r a v e l After the week I’d spent with the fifteen kids with similar stories of struggle and hope, something shifted in my heart. They’d left a mark on me, more evident than the mark in the dirt they made outside after playing with toy trucks or skip rope. They had captured my heart and opened my eyes to see how privileged I am, simply because my parents love me enough to not have left me at a random doorstep in a plastic bag. These children have stained my perception of others, for how can I ever judge someone who has been disadvantaged because of birth? In another circumstance, I could’ve been that little orphan sitting on a foreigner’s lap, craving the love of a missing parent.

Captivated by this realization, I began to do some digging on statistics and orphans in South Africa. Here’s the non-sugarcoated fact: there are over 3,7 million orphans in SA!.

How can we, as citizens of a safe home and good education, sit back and let this statistic rise without a care? If these words could scream, block your ears because here it comes: we need to do something about this! Change can start with volunteering at places ranging from orphanages to safe homes to crèches. But here’s the trick, change can also start with a simple mindset shift.

Let us be aware of statistics like this, and realize that the world has so many bigger problems to solve than outfits and tests and school drama. Once we start to lock our own mind into the things that truly need attention, only then, can we start to solve and capture the things that truly m a t t e r . . .

t r a v e l india 2 0 2 0 ’ S H O T T E S T DESTINATION

BY ERIN RUITERS

t r a v e l taken from pinterest.com The Holy City of Varanasi is the oldest inhabited city ”It is easy to see why India has so much in the world. You should explore the Old Quarter, appeal. Whether you are admiring adjacent to the Ganges, where you will find the Kashi Viswanath temple that was built in 1780 with historical archiotecture , eating spicy its vast interior and fine detail. The Banaras Hindu curry , riding on a camel through the University was established in 1917 and it noteworthy province of Rajasthan, exploring an for its massive library with more than a million books. Indian bazaar, taking part in vibrant The Bharat Kala Bhavan museum is worth a visit if festivities or visiting the beaches of Goa you are a history boffin or design enthusiast. that overlook the Arabian Sea. This country gets under your skin in the best The museum features fine collections of miniature way possible....” paintings, sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and local history exhibits or exceptional city views, travel through the province of Rajasthan on a camel or an elephant. You will certainly be mesmerised by the beautiful desert landscapes and majestic forts and opulent palaces in Rajasthan.

Once you have taken in all the awe-inspiring architectural sites, head to the beaches in Goa. It is a “go-to” holiday destination in India. If you love peace and quiet, Agonda Beach is your destination but if you like the complete opposite, Calangute is the beach to visit.

The Red Fort in Delhi is also worth a visit. The fun It is easy to see why India has so much appeal part of the visit is exploring the Chatta Chowk 17th- .Whether you are admiring historical architecture , century-style bazaar that sells jewellery, silk eating spicy curry , riding on a camel through the garments, souvenirs and delicious Indian food. At the province of Rajasthan, exploring an Indian bazaar, bazaar you can buy parathas, tandoori chicken and taking part in vibrant festivities or visiting the samoosas. beaches of Goa that overlook the Arabian Sea. This The Indian cuisine is reason enough to travel to country gets under your skin in the best way possible. India. The food in the Northern parts of India are heavily influenced by Persian and Mughlali styles of The first place to visit in India is the Taj Mahal. One cooking. In the Southern parts the cuisine is of the seven wonders of the world it is the most characterised by the use of coconut, seafood, rice iconic symbol of India. It was built by Emperor Shah and it is spicier than the Northern cuisine. Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is a world-famous testimony of the power of love. It India overloads your senses with cacophony of was constructed out of white marble and sounds, vibrant colours and carves a deep incorporates many Islamic-style designs. The lasting impression on a traveller. India is structure contains precious stones such as jade, certainly the hottest holiday destination of diamonds and pearls. It is best to visit the Taj Mahal 2020... at dawn or dusk when the atmosphere is altered by the change of light. Try to catch a view of the marble mausoleum’s reflection on the Yamuna River to make your experience more memorable. India is an exceptionally diverse country. It is filled with the world's most beautiful forts, palaces, mosques, temples and monuments. To understand the history of India you must visit all architectural sites.

t r a v e l ROXANNE FENTON & MEGAN MILTON PRESENT

THE PRIME LOCATION ALTERNATIVE F O R T H E NO-PLETT--GOERS

wanting to beat the crowds at an affordable price in tropical paradise?

keen to visit real-deal beach bars?

then it’s time for a getaway to Sibuyan Island, The Philippines...

t r a v e l how to get to Sibuyan Island

Sibuyan Island is quite remote because it is the furthest from Tablas, the main port in Romblon Province. But, it is only a ferry trip away from tropical paradise. It costs under R30 (!!!) and takes about an hour to cross over to the island. w h e r e t o t r a n s p o r t

s t a y Motorbike: For about R160 you can rent a motorbike

.Magdiwang: The port is quite near where which is great for visiting waterfalls, sunset viewpoints you will want to get accommodation and generally touring around. Jeepney: To get between towns it is best to go with the Jeepney. For example, before and after trekking Mt. Guiting from Magdiwang to San Fernando, the Jeepney takes Guiting. From the port, you can take a about 1-2 hours. tricycle to Magdiwang for just a couple of rands.In Magdiwang you have a few options of where to stay. We were originally told to stay at Sanctuary Garden WHAT TO PACK Resort or Ranchers Place on Lonely SANDALS Planet. It is a private room for R300. The SARONG room was pretty basic but it had working DISPOSABLE FILM air conditioning, a small private bathroom CAMERA ( YOU ARE and that’s about it.In San Fernando, the GOING TO WANT TO BEST spot to stay is at the Seabreeze Inn. CAPTURE THE The rooms were pretty simple, which is BEAUTY OF THIS fine as it only cost about R80 per night for PLACE) double occupancy with air conditioning. HYDROFLASK MOSQUITO SPRAY (NO MORE KRICKS) our top picks POWER-BANK f o r WATERPROOF DRY adventurous BAG things to do

TREK TO THE SUMMIT OF MT. GUITING p r i c e t a g e s t i m a t e GUITING R16 000 EXCLUDING SPENDING EXPLORE CATAJA FALLS MOOLAH FOR 2 WEEKS IN TROPICAL PARADISECHEAP CLIFF JUMP AT CATINGAS RIVER FLIGHTS ON AVERAGE HAVE COOL OFF AT BUSAY FALLS FOUR STOP OVERS. ISLAND HOP TO CRESTA DE GALLO t r a v e l w o r l d l y - w i s e

current events we think you should know about BOTCHED : TRUMP ’ S IMPEACHMENT

BY JENNA SCHULTZ

“If a defendant is acquitted in a proceeding against him where vital witnesses can’t testify, where relevant evidence is “unavailable,” and where some members of the jury declare their allegiance to the defendant instead of to a fair process, it’s hardly justice. Trump may be acquitted by the Senate, but if the process is fundamentally deficient, a mockery of a system designed to seek the truth, that acquittal will not exonerate him. No matter what he says, everyone will know it’s not true.”

Joyce Vance, The New York Times

worldly-wise A massive disservice has been done have had impeachment trials: Bill win. to the citizens of the United States of Clinton was impeached in 1989 and The second charge is the America and anyone who is, or will Andrew Johnson was impeached in obstruction of Congress. This too ever be, affected by . 1868—yet neither of these place last year at the first of the Unfortunately, I think, the president’s trials resulted in a impeachment hearings. Trump impeachment trial of Donald Trump conviction by the state (or his was criticised by Democrats after (Republican) was botched. This is removal from office?). the White House refused to allow due to the mockery that was made This brings us to the third staff to testify at the said trials. of a pursuit for truth and justice that impeachment in American history: Trump has denied all these took place in the Senate trial by the the impeachment of current US charges and has called them Republicans.

Before diving further into this, the context and implications of the “[US President] Trump impeachment need to be explained.An impeachment is has denied all these essentially a trial that concerns the charges and has senior officials of the American called them ‘flimsy’ government. An official can be impeached on the grounds of and a ‘dangerous treason, bribery or other such perversion of the crimes and misdemeanors according to the American Constitution’.” constitution. Before an impeachment trial can take place, it needs to be voted on inside the House of Representatives (the US version of parliament). If the majority vote for the impeachment, a trial will President, the infamous Donald “flimsy’ and a “dangerous then be held in the senate. This is Trump. The impeachment perversion of the Constitution”. somewhat like a courtroom, allegations began in August 2019 Keep in mind that both these except senators (who are elected and will lead well into the 2020 charges have nothing to do with to represent each of the 50 states, elections. Trump was impeached the accusations of Russia’s on the grounds of lawmaking) act based on two charges. interference in the 2016 as jurors. The first charge concerns the elections which were not further Jurors are people who are Ukraine — accusations have been investigated and remain an chosen to make an impartial, made that Trump asked for help unsolved problem. unbiased decision based on legal from the Ukraine’s government to advice. The senators vote after a get him re-elected this year. Trump’s impeachment moved trial has taken place on whether or Allegedly, Trump dangled a White onto the Senate trial where the not the accused is guilty and House meeting with the Ukraine impeachment was acquitted should, therefore, be impeached. President, as well as held back and Trump was declared not The vote has to be a two-thirds millions of dollars of military aid as guilty, putting an end to the majority in favour of the bargaining chips. If the Ukraine impeachment process and not impeachment for it to progress to accepted these, they would have removing Trump from office. Of the process of the President’s to publicly announce an the Senate, 53 members were removal from office. investigation into Joe Biden. Joe We must realise that impeachment Biden is Trump’s supposed Republicans and 47 members cannot be equated with the democratic competition in the were Democrats and herein lies automatic removal of a person from 2020 Presidential election and, the problem. a position. Historically, only two according to polls, is expected to Presidents before Donald Trump worldly-wise During the trial, Democrats called to introduce new ”This impeachment trial was documents and witnesses as they said that new botched and will consequently evidence had come into play that hadn’t been heard of previously. go down in history as a I believe that, to aid their Republican president, disservice done to the validity of Republicans in the Senate demanded a quick trial. When voting to bring in new evidence and witnesses, only two the American justice system” of the Republicans swung and voted to bring in the new information—meaning the vote for new information was Trump, of course, denies the obvious injustice of lost and none of it was involved in the trials. this situation but the obstruction of justice by the jurors is blatant in their biased votes. Republicans deliberately obstructed justice, which is one of the cornerstones of American life. They did this by This supports my leading statement that this excluding vital evidence against the accused. The new impeachment trial was botched and will information would’ve brought in a damaging testimony consequently go down in history as a disservice from National Security Advisor, John Bolton, regarding done to the validity of the American justice system... Trump’s involvement in the Ukraine. In the end, the Senate trial had very little evidence and no witnesses, a poor excuse for what was supposed to be a fair impeachment trial.

worldly-wise O Z O N F I R E BY DANEL ADENDORFF

THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORLD AS WE K N O W I T

Over the last few months much of the Australian continent has been on fire, as we saw on the shared videos and photos on various social media platforms and, as with many crises, people have split into factions when talking about this disaster...

worldly-wise “Not only did these horrific fires set the political scene ablaze in many countries with regards to climate change and climate control, it also blew the Australian economy up in smoke” (photo courtesy of cbsnews.com)

Popular assumption has been that you either This means that the fires that caused such belong to camp “This is nothing but a natural a large loss of life and damage to living disaster and would always have happened so conditions of so many will most probably people should just deal with it” or you identify continue to devastate lives for the with the group proclaiming that “the world is foreseeable future. However, not all is being wrecked by global warming and this is lost. The political and economical arenas yet another reason why we should crucify might have been scorched by the flames, anyone who dares to drive a car”. but socially people have gained new respect and love for fellow humans and This means that even though the more firefighters. Disasters somehow always rational political standpoint would be to say manage to force us to put aside our that this is a natural disaster which might political or ideological differences and have been made more disastrous by the unite in our shared humanity. So, let us be effect of greenhouse gases and global thankful for that and stand with all those warming on the atmosphere and climate of who are still suffering from the the planet, the politics in various Western consequences of the Australian blazes. countries has once again ignored establishing any form of middle-ground. Not taken from theguardian.com only did these horrific fires set the political scene ablaze in many countries with regards to climate change and climate control, it also blew the Australian economy up in smoke.

The fires not only had a direct effect on their tourism and farming sectors, but it has also resulted in a decrease in consumer confidence which could cripple their economy. worldly-wise US VS

IRAN BY CAITLIN RISTOW THE TRUE NATURE OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THESE FOREIGN POWERS

2 January 2020: American President Donald Trump announced that the United States’ airstrikes have successfully killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, who led Iranian covert operations and intelligence and was considered one of Iran's most prominent leaders. In doing so, tensions between the United States (US) and Iran rose tremendously, bringing them close to a state of war. Tensions between two of the worlds most prominently militant countries could lead to what many people are calling World War III (WWIII). What a wonderful way to start the new year...

worldly-wise “It's the Iranian citizens, those who live in poverty and have no access to the media—or, more pressingly, hospitals— whose lives will be negatively affected if a war were to occur” (photo courtesy of express.co.uk)

The conflict between the US and Iran has existed for a while now. The US imposed harsh sanctions on Iran because of their "support of terrorism" and growing missile program. These sanctions crushed Iran's economy. Iran fought back by violating parts of a nuclear agreement that was signed, bombing American oil tankers and drowning military drones.

After the news was released, memes started to appear instantly but people did receive a lot of criticism for making them and rightly so. The American citizens who make these memes like to laugh about how WW3 would affect them but the truth is that the Americans don't actually have a lot to worry about. It's the Iranian citizens, those who live in poverty and have no access to the media—or, more pressingly, hospitals—whose lives will be negatively affected—to put it mildly—if a war were to occur.

Of course US soldiers will die too—that’s how war works. But possibly not to the same extent as the Iranians. America will have the advantage being the richer and more influencial country.

As of today, no extreme battles have occurred between the US and Iran and things seem to have quieted down. But that's not to say they will remain this way. Not when the general public are unaware of what is happening behind the scenes... worldly-wise CORONA IN ISOLATION BY PETRA DE BEER

Everything changed and the world watched in fear as Wuhan went from a festive hub of celebration for the Lunar Festival to a ghost town. Coronavirus: a word with a deadly connotation. We’ve all heard the death tolls increasing and checked the news to see progression of the virus that seems to never stop spreading. We fear it may come to us. But for some, this panic is more intense... worldly-wise On 23 January Wuhan, China became a ghost town when roughly 11 million residents were quarantined in their own homes. Travel restrictions were soon applied to over 780 million people across China.Now, around 60 million people are under lockdown in their homes.

taken from cnn.com

Some of them are South African citizens. One of them is my cousin.Every day she goes through things I’ve only ever about in dystopian novels. She sterilizes everything. When she dares to venture outside, she is covered in disinfectant, wears a mask and is screened for the virus wherever she goes. When she gets back home, she strips herself of everything she was wearing while in public and washes it. Thoroughly. She then washes her body, often with disinfectant. She cleans her hands with alcohol and puts all the items she used in a bag.

Those quarantined have nobody to talk to and nothing to do. Corona in isolation is terrifying, for all those surviving are doing so in lockdown.But surviving is just surviving, it isn’t living...

worldly-wise c a p t u r e

m o m e n t s & v i e w s c a p t u r e d b y y o u || SPIER LIGHT SHOW CAPTURED BY ELLA MASON 2020: A YEAR OF VISION / A YEAR TO SEE THINGS IN A NEW LIGHT c a p t u r e women who are impacting their communities

w o r l d - c h a n g e r s a n d w a v e - m a k e r s “In the future, women, rather than men, will be the ones to change the world.” MALALA YOUSAFZAI

BY NTANDO MWANDLA In the current climate of wars, global warming, famines and other devastating affairs, an influx of young women is making changes in their communities and all around the world. These women are shaping the way our world operates and paving the way for future generations of wave- makers...

One such young woman making a change in her community is Shamma bint Suhail Faris Mazrui, who was appointed Minster of State for Youth Affairs in the United Arab Emirates at the age of22 . She is the youngest government minister in the world, and she continues to make waves in the political scene for young people.

She has inspired young people over the world to start taking up space in the political sphere in order to see the change we want to see for future generations.Mazrui emphasizes the importance of the youth’s role in changing the state of the world saying, “Youth are (like) renewable energy who can generate innovative ideas and reach solutions to face future challenges and achieve comprehensive sustainability in all areas of life.

Young women like Shamma Al Mazrui are making changes all over the world and opening doors for young women like us to make our mark on the earth’s soil. They encourage us to stand up and fight for what we believe in using the strength we have as young women.As the saying goes, “Wathint’ abafaz, wathint’ imbokodo,”. You strike at women, you strike at a rock...

world-changers &wave-makers TOP TWENTY, TOP 1 0 , TOP 5 , TOP 3 AND ULTIMATELY THE TOP 1 . ZOZIBINI TUNZI IS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN IN EIGHT YEARS, THE THIRD SOUTH AFRICAN, BUT THE FIRST TO DO SO WITH HER FETCHING NATURAL HAIR. SHE WON MISS UNIVERSE.. . Zozibini Tunzi

BY IZZIE HUGILL

world-changers &wave-makers IN 2 0 1 7 , ZOZIBINI FIRST ENTERED THE PAGEANT WORLD ONLY TO NOT MAKE THE TOP 1 2 FINALISTS, BUT SHE DIDN ’ T GET GIVE UP. IN 2 0 1 9 , SHE MADE IT ALL . HER PRIZE, AMONGST OTHER THINGS, WAS HER TICKET TO MISS UNIVERSE AND TO THE NATIONS ’ HEARTS.SHOE DIDN ’ T HAVE AN EASY PATH. SHE HAS TOLD HER STORY OF HOW SHE HAD COME FROM A WORLD WHERE WOMEN OF HER COMPLEXION AND SIMILAR HAIR TYPES WERE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE BEAUTIFUL. THIS IS CLEARLY A VIEW THAT STEMS FROM THE HARMFUL AND INACCURATE IDEAS OF THE LATE APARTHEID REGIME LOOK AT HER NOW, ARGUABLY THE MOST GORGEOUS WOMAN IN THE WORLD. ZOZIBINI IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY IN THE WAY THAT SHE EMBRACES HER CULTURE AND IS PROUD OF HER ORIGINS. SHE IS UNAPOLOGETICALLY HERSELF. WE — AS RHENISHERS, AS WOMEN AND AS SOUTH AFRICANS - CAN ALL BE INSPIRED BY ZOZIBINI ’ S TOUCHING MESSAGE...

world-changers &wave-makers r h e n i s h l i f e Never have I identified with this quote more vividly than at 4M 2020, where the sisterhood of Rhenish girls stood elbow-to- elbow, their hands thundering with applause and their voices hoarse as they cheered... BY RACHEL KLEYN

“In the end, it’s about being proud of where you are now...”

4M 2020 was a day spent in the scorching sun with the nerves high and hats low. Races were run, but not always won. Javelins, shot puts and discuses were thrown, but not always far enough. Jumps were jumped, but not always successfully. Winning was not a consistent occurrence for Rhenish at 4M. What was consistent, though, was trying. Rhenishers were ready to assist at the reporting desk and at the start-to-the-finish line and were there in the stands cheering for our athletes. Rhenish came fourth, yes. But looking up at the stands from the track and into the beaming faces of our girls, experiencing the atmosphere and the echoes of the girls’ enthusiastic voices against the mountains, Rhenish didn’t need to come third, because Rhenish had something that neither Bloemhof, nor La Rochelle, nor Paarl Girls’ High could beat. Rhenish had spirit...

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