Jammin' Jacuzzi

Jonathan Shapiro was recently slapped with a law suit by President of the ANC Jacob Zuma for damage to his reputation as a result of cartoons drawn by Shapiro under the pen name Zapiro. A claim of R15 million was placed against him. Initially what sprang to mind is that how can Zapiro be sued for what had already been public knowledge? Considering that we JMS1 first years are the futures of the media world and will soon cast our ballot’s how are such cartoons influential to us if they are at all?
Cartoons can easily be defined as a simplified statement that usually portrays current political agenda. This is also the best way to describe Zapiro’s cartoons. To place these simple statements in a complex position would mean it would lose the essences of its depiction.
How does it become any fault of Zapiro’s that a public figure such as Zuma has a rancid reputation? Having created all this bad publicity around him, Zuma is merely placing blame on the press and is trying not only do damage control to save his reputation but he is also becoming a bully like Bush, who tried to censor the media for criticising him for the invasion of Iraq.
Clearly this is an attack on the media! But what does this mean for us future journalist? Should we even concern ourselves with this? Can this be seen as a lesson on ethics?
The image of Zuma ready to rape the justice system isn’t portrayed unfairly at all, that is exactly how many felt. Zapiro had just been brave enough to publically display this sentiment. He has not crossed his usual borders that are now seen as his norms or style and I do not believe that he should change.
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press has always been a touchy subject and will continue to be as long as free press is in existence. But where is the limit for all journalists? Do we know were to draw the line? And how important is it to know when to do this?
Zapiro, addressed the question of where to draw the line, and said:
“The line stops when you make a tangible connection between what you are saying and instances of people going out and causing physical hurt or death because of what you say. It’s about taboos, about whether a cartoonist has the right to go beyond a certain point. I am a freedom of expression junkie and I don’t gratuitously go out of my way to piss people off.”
False representation on the facts is always a no go for journalist and that is the bottom line. Journalists are meant to be the watch dogs of society and by fabricating our stories the public begins to lose faith in us. And media just becomes fiction, a never ending supply of entertainment.
Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard is one of those cartoonists who have overstepped their line. His cartoon was the controversial caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. And the Muslim community had every right to be up in arms. Such cartoons have no right to be circulated because they are false and go against the masses. It is truly angering that the media can be used as a tool to publish blatant lies and punt certain discriminatory ideals. Yes Zapiro challenges the politics of the world in his own way which keeps within a respectable boundary and I strongly believe that such methods should be used. Anything to get the facts across is a better way than merely accepting and being steam-rolled over by government and politicians.
It is because that these cartoons become a form to explain and bring to attention current pertinent issues I believe that they do help when passing judgment on issues, but the manner in which they should be interpreted is left entirely up to the individual.
So first year journalism students: we are the tomorrows which yesterday predicted we are that which today has cultivated…. So go out there and speak out… brave the tide to develop a hopeful future.

It is believed that first years are mainly concerned with partying, going out, having a good time and such, and then they complain about the heck load of work they have. Apparently first years have so little work yet all they do is complain about all the work they have to get done and how they don’t have enough time.

We may be only first years, but we do have quite a lot of work. Yes good time management would help, but the work is still a lot and we do manage to get our work done on time, but it still doesn’t mean that our lives are all hunky dory. Just because we are first years and at the ‘bottom of the food chain’ it does not mean that we are easy bait to be picked on. And all the older students were at some stage first years themselves. First years are not just slackers here to have a good time. And not all of us are out to party. And there are many who do party and have fun and still manage to do well in their work. A theory which also catches my attention is that first years have the highest failure / dropout rate in universities.

Moving from high school life to university life is a big step, and we try our best to make this step as successful as possible. Having to put up with all the negative comments and views of everyone else at university is not something that serves as encouragement. If we are continuously been told how bad we are going to do we might start actually believing it, it’s psychology. If expectations are so low, the expectations are bound to be met…

The fact is that we do get a lot of work and we do not only complain. We are normal people and do need to vent from time to time. And doesn’t every normal person complain about work? Also if most first years failed, where did so many second and third year students come from? Most first years have to deal with the stress of a new place and environment, being so far away from home and friends and family, and having to uphold expectations. I’m not saying that being in first year is the most difficult, but it is difficult and it would be appreciated if that were taken into consideration.

First years do not drink the most, party the most, or get into the most trouble. First years need to be treated better and afforded more respect. It cannot be an ongoing chain where first years are treated the same every year. It would be a lot better if people showed confidence in first years and helped them feel more at home rather than want to pack up and leave for home.

So don’t be so ready to assume the worst of people, don’t judge before knowing. Just know that us first years are still learning.

yours in irritation

I've never been a true believe in love or luck...(dont think I'd ever be!)
However much to my friends sursrise i belive that dreams do come true..
Many have made new discoveries or had their theories shot down because no one believed in them... but they never stopped because they believed in themselves and thats the most important element.
Dreams, desires all stem from one common point "the seed of hope".
People think whats the point to believe, dream or hope if it will never come true?
But then the question that that i want to ask is then... 'whats the point of living if you would open your eyes to the possibility that it could happen to you?'
Yes we admire those who are rich and famous, those who are beautiful and smart.
But what about admiring ourselves?
Has it ever occured to you that you might mean the world to someone?
Albert Einstein once said "Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge!"
That is something that I strongly believe in... as the imagination is the tool that brings to life our dreams.
You got to start somewhere...
Working your way to success is the 'honest' and 'best' way to go about achieveing in life so that means starting at the bottom!
(We like halfway there already if you think abot it...)


SO JUST REMEMBER THAT THE OAK TREE TOO WAS ONCE WAS A NUT!

Love is an emotion that has stood the test of time...
From Adam and Eve to Laila aur Majnu to Romeo and Juliet and to the current days Beck's and Vic.
The point that I'm trying to make here is that although love has been around since time immemorial can it withstand mordern-day human nature and go beyond the years 2050...
With technology at it's brink and robots running the world or catering to our every need were would there be the time for love if economical advancement is all we are searching for?
Take a look around you today... people believe that having 'money' is the solution to everything.
People are soo tied up with their work that there is no time for love.
Family structures are broken down due to the chase of money and the break down of communication.
The common line heard is "THEY KNOW I LOVE THEM... I DON'T NEED TO TELL THEM."
This is the wrong attitude to have especially toward children.
Yes I do agree that we're not parents yet and that 'what do we care.....'
BUT THATS THE POINT!
WE SHOULD CARE!
We to often take advantage of those who are close to us and forget to appreciate them.
Love doesn't have a fixed label each and every relationship has a degree of love.
One should appreciate the bonds of these relationship before it's too late as we dont know how long we are going to be here...
And no matter the time... our love should have made an impression that would live in our memories for a life time....

So lets keep loving till 2050 and beyond....

It's strange how this conversation actually started...
During the June vaction spending time with my grandparents... my grandma told me a story about this young maiden who was married off to a stranger... the only people who knew each other were the two families!
The maiden cried her heart out and pleaded with her father not to send her away to the strangers house.
I was beyond myself when I heard this.
She went on to say that after marriage.... the maiden and the stranger began a journey of discovery.....and began to fall in love.
One night the maiden thought of the days when her marriage was being planned and remembered her cries to her father.
She then concluded that the choice that her parents made wasn't wrong at all...
And the maiden and her new found love lived happily together..... to this very day.

This is the story of my my grandparents.....( Im very happy that my gran didn't manage to change her dads mind!!!!)

Arranged marriages?
Is it to an obserd idea to exist in todays modern society...
or
Is it the answer to todays high divorce rate.
The idea behind this practice is that the families decide on the major decisions in youngsters life... and the youger generation is to abide. Many cultures around the world still follow this practice. But are we South Africans ready for it?
If internet marriage sites becoming such a craze... why is it then so abhorrent that we wouldn't consider it?


ARRANGED MARRIAGES.... IS IT 'IN' ? OR 'OUT' ?

It just breaks my heart to know that sometimes even your hand at friendship means nothing....
I come from a community that believes that one should always maintain a strong relationship with not only their families but also their friends.
Yes I do agree that sometimes it may seem difficult to maintain these bonds over the distances... but I also believe that if the endeavour is made...nothing can break that bond.

Coming here to Rhodes there seems to be a new trend and call me "old school" but from mere observation I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT NOT MANY TAKE THESE RELATIONSHIPS SERIOUSLY.
Friendship has become a tool to just move up in the world.
You dont realise that this statement is true until it happeneds to you!
And this leaves you all confussed and questioning your abilty to hold any relationship together even one that is as simple as a friendship.
SO... if it does happen to you... and you end up feeling hurt and torn apart.... ask yourself, "Would I have done the same thing?"
or
"Is maintaining that parasitic relationship worth the effect?"


Now the only thing that I have left unanswered is: Has this become a trend that we humans in general are commiting ourselves to, or is it just us...the young?

As this has become a worrying factor.
Is it natural to take advantage of people for self gain?
How far will we take it?


LIFE ISN'T A BED OF ROSES... HOWEVER THE COMPANIONS WE KEEP MAKES LIFE WORTH LIVING.....