Leah Solomon: The heavy metal community has recently lost one of its founding fathers. Jeff Hanneman (49), guitarist and co-founder of thrash rock band Slayer, died of liver failure last Thursday.
Hanneman had been off the road and not performing since 2011, when he had contracted a very rare skin disease which eats away at the flesh. Reports have said that he contracted this disease after he had been bitten by a spider.
Ben Coullie: Spurred by the confusion surrounding the recent Boston bombings and the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ appeal for citizen help, online communities such as 4chan and Reddit resolved to help authorities identify and locate key suspects.
Sifting through the thousands of photos, audio-clips and films circulating the web, these online communities generated wave after wave of hypotheses, ranging from credible to blatantly racist; insightful to intentionally provocative.
Xand Venturas and Kellan Botha: Two powerful explosions rocked the finish line of the famous Boston Marathon on Monday evening killing three people, including an 8-year-old child, and injuring 140 others.
As of yet, no one has claimed responsibility for the bombings and major cities around the United States were put on high alert.
Matthew Kynaston: Rhodes’ Vice Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat, addressed local and student on the topic ‘Rhodes: who we are, where we are today and where we want to be in 2020’.
The talk took place on Friday, 12 April, where he introduced Rhodes’ new Institutional Development Plan (IDP). This will act as a compass for where the University wants to go in the coming years.
Nina McFall: The Give5 Campaign Week kicked off in an attention-grabbing way: 36 students and staff members walked across 4m of red hot coals to raise funds for the campaign.
On Friday evening, 12 April, a crowd gathered on Drostdy Lawns where coals were laid out on the lawns’ pathway.
David Mann: Students were shocked to be “harassed” by ‘military officers’ on campus today as part of Rhodes University’s Palestinian Solidarity Forum or RUPSF’s demonstration to kick off what they term ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’.
Dressed up in military uniforms and armed with megaphones and stern looks, the RUPSF put on a demonstration on Monday 11 March at the Day Kaif where members lined up on either side of the entrance to the kaif.
David Mann: Starting off Human Rights Week, Rhodes University had the privilege of hosting a talk by one of the most influential activists for differently abled children in South Africa – Chaeli Mycroft.
Taking place on Sunday, 3 March, many enthusiastic students and Grahamstown residents filled the Eden Grove Blue lecture theatre for a talk about the right to access to education for people with disabilities.
Ashleigh Morris & Megan Ellis: Valentine’s Day was temporarily forgotten when the shocking news broke that Oscar Pistorius had shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Amid a flurry of public opinion regarding the incident and what some have called a trial by media, this is the story so far:
Press statement from Rhodes University: Rhodes University is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Chancellor and alumnus, who has deep roots in Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape, Justice Lex Mpati. He takes over from Prof Jakes Gerwel who passed away late last year.
Megan Ellis: In a statement just released by the SRC, Media Councillor Sarah Price-Jones has announced her resignation from office.
Citing the Student Constitution, the SRC states that Lulama Qongqo, the runner up to Price-Jones in the elections, will be offered the position of Media Councillor.
This is dependent on whether Qongqo is willing and available to take the position.
