UCTutionalised

This Friday was our departmental end of year party. I imagine it will be my last departmental party at UCT, certainly with the faces that I've come to know so well. 

December 2003 Grad

I couldn't help remembering my first departmental end of year party, 10 years ago. As honours students, we were finally invited to the grown up table, but still unsure about ourselves and our place in the department, we clung together like limpets. That particular year we had karaoke and our class (in those days, honours class was small, I think there were 11 of us) huddled around the two mikes and sang "Hotel California" to the cheesy karaoke music video... Warm fuzzy memories of one of the best years of my life spent with some of my favourite people.

The end of year party also happened to be at the tennis club, which is where I had my 21st many years ago. My indulgent parents spoiled me as always, and it was a magical, emotional event. I actually had my 21st more than 2 months before I turned 21 so it would be before everyone disappeared to new lives, after we graduated. I guess this is a recurring theme in academia, you are expected to graduate and move on, which means graduation itself is somewhat bitter-sweet. (I am THRILLED that I am graduating this year though - I am so over trying to not feel bitter at this time of the year when all the smartly dressed graduates flock to campus with their proud parents!)

If a random person were to ask me how long I've been at UCT I'd mumble "100yrs" to avoid having to explain that it took longer than it should have, but you all know that already. So I can tell you that I started at UCT as a 17yr wide-eyed terrified kid in 2001 and I haven't left since. And, despite the fact that I was terrified when my parents dropped me off outside that revolting Tugwell building, being at UCT has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. 

I've said it before, but I love UCT. I love the ivy that changes the colour of the walls through the seasons, I love that the air vents are UCT crests. I love the view from upper campus and I love my office.

I have such huge respect and love for the people within the department. Getting a high 5 from George Branch is literally more exciting to me than speaking to the lead singer of a band I enjoy (Beatenberg - SA band, they're good, and in my only groupie-esque moment in my life EVER (other than following Brothers Streep and various Marvel movie actors on FB) I told them they were awesome after a concert this week.) I guess going from being a shy, never-talk-up-in class girl in undergrad to actually being able to sit and chat to these brilliant people in a casual social environment is something I'll always appreciate...

So this year's end of year function is bitter-sweet for me. I know a new stage of my life is upon me, and I'm sure it'll be exciting, challenging and with a new set of lovely people for me to respect and care about, but not getting to go to another end of year party with all those familiar faces is without a doubt something I'll miss... As much as I'll miss tea time and my gorgeous office and my lovely UCT friends. 

x + UCT = Δx

Thank fully not catching these 

Can the university you go to influence the person you are.... 
One of my crab colleagues is passionately anti-UCT (she's a UWC graduate). She says that UCT students think they are better than everyone else, that they start to use English instead of their home languages (even when they are talking to people of the same home language).  She added that even though they were promised that if you went to UCT you would definitely get a job (news to me!) yet she knows of UCT graduates that still don't have work - so UCT isn't "all that" after all. (She did add that she was pleasantly surprised to find that I was nice despite being a UCT graduate). 

For my part, I love UCT, it's history, its reputation. I decided (in all my 17 year old naivety) to go to UCT based on its reputation of having the best marine biology research center in the country (I am not sure if this is still true and it does not belittle the awesome work that is coming out of other institutions - I was 17 what did I know! - but I do count myself lucky to have been taught and supervised by some South African marine science legends - again, my opinion). 

This got me thinking about how I have changed since my 17 year old self stared, overwhelmed, as my folks drove away from me, leaving me at Tugwell alone, wondering if I had just made the biggest mistake in my little life... (I remember this feeling very distinctly, I remember feeling small and very very alone, and desperately wanting to shout to them to come back and take me home with them).  Now it is many, MANY years later (truly it isn't polite to ask how many) and, with my days at UCT being numbered, I can't imagine being anywhere else (this is self-evident given that all of my "leave" days from crab-catching have been spent at my UCT office, other than the one that was the science expo - my defense is that there is internet here).  

So, how have I changed... well, for one thing, I am unfortunately not as thin as I was back then, which is a shame, but I like to think that I like and appreciate my body more despite this. Sadly it doesn't necessarily mean I look after it better, there are still tins of sweetcorn in my cupboard and my fridge has wine in it more often than food. It does mean that I care more about the person that I am than what I look like - which is an important improvement but more likely to do with no longer being 17 than being at UCT. 

I do remember that when I first came to Cape Town I thought Capetonians had quite strong accents (I don't mean Hout Bay Harbour accents but it was either really posh "hot potato"/English colonialist accents or lazy surfers drawl). I don't notice this anymore (now that I think about it) which possibly means I have also picked up some Capetonian in my accent (in fact, people frequently comment on my accent and I generally tell them it is a JHB slowed down to Cape Town pace - unless I have wine, then it is hot potato city in an attempt to not slur! Or maybe I just talking funny!!) 

I find it difficult to identify other changes that are from having been to UCT as opposed to no longer being 17. (Besides knowing more about penguins and fish and intertidal critters) I consider myself to be open minded and liberal - but I think that was true when I was 17, if a little less defined. I do not consider myself to be a UCT snob, despite being proud of having been at UCT (is that contradictory?)  Of course there are times, (RECENTLY) that UCT has annoyed me dreadfully, and I have been very angry with it for some of their decisions/policies. I have wondered how things would be different if I had been to other institutions (I considered Rhodes at both Honours and Masters - and was really impressed with how quickly they responded when UCT admin left us hanging until the last minute which was part of the reason I was very tempted to go there.)  I have listened to friends gush about their post graduate experiences at other institutions and seen how they have changed in subtle ways from when they were at UCT.

  

We have pretty cool lawns close by,  but not on campus really
Also,  I am not sure why lawns are so important to me... hm

I have never been to another University, so it is difficult to have an outsiders perspective (well.... there was that time up in Pretoria, but I never really integrated with the UP culture, despite appreciating their lovely lawn (that no one else seemed to wiggled their toes in) and the very convenient and cheap Oom Gert's). I would be interested to hear your perspective, particularly if you have been to other Universities in addition to UCT   

Ultimately, I guess, any where you are is going to be as awesome or awful as you make it. If I could do everything over again, I wouldn't change anything, so that must be a good thing, right... Well... I wouldn't mind being the same weight I was when I was 17! 

(How nerdy is my title??)

Nostalgia

(This is actually last week's post - which for various reasons (crabs, work, Robben-pickup-run) I failed to write up.) 

Graduating or getting new post docs, it's a transient life

I have been feeling nostalgic this week. I suspect it is related to a sneaky trip up to Johannesburg and the wedding of a friend I have had since Grade 1 in 1989! (And subsequently thinking about all the people that I have known since then and even before, and how much they impact my life). Or maybe it was bumping into the guy a friend of mine dated in our first year at UCT, or maybe it is the thought of saying goodbye to my office mate (today) and some of my favourite, closest friends in Cape Town that are returning to their home countries in the next couple of months, who have, over the years, wormed their way into the very depths of my heart and are more family than friends. Or maybe it is the thought of my eventual departure from UCT - but who am I kidding - I have been preparing for that for years!!!

UCT Jameson Hall - place of graduation and exams

It is inevitable that when you have lived somewhere for a long time just driving down a random street can take you down memory lane (when you are in a nostalgic frame of mind). Some things I am happy are just memories - seeing Hartleyvale stadium all lit up made me shiver with memories of the icy cold wind that had to be endured while watching hockey games (that I still don't understand fully - despite having played hockey at school). I am glad I won't have to do that again (the ex had many good qualities but I just could never get too enthusiastic about hockey - the really cheap wine at Western Province Cricket Club - yes - drinking it with lovely ladies while pretending to watch - yes - but hockey, not so much). Some of my most special friends have moved away from Cape Town, and driving down Queen Victoria Road, or the turn off to Pinelands (I have no reason to go in to the maze they call Pinelands anymore) brings them close to me through a myriad of happy (occasionally slurred) memories.

National Monument - but of course

Or maybe my sense of nostalgia is because last week I offered to give a "heritage" tour of UCT to a group of visiting Norwegians. (Any excuse to hang out with Norwegians!) Although the tour ended up being a fairly informal affair, I did do some research on UCT beforehand, and it was inspiring to learn about the long history of this institute I have been at for such a large proportion of my life, but such a tiny proportion of its history. I still am not sure who most of the buildings are named after and keenly remember getting a pub quiz question about UCT incorrect.




There is an official "UCT Heritage Trail" which you can explore although it seems to focus on the statues on campus, some of which are just plain bizarre! All this information is on the UCT website - which I am not currently on so am hopefully not plagiarizing too badly. Also see this site for an armchair tour. 

This is from Facebook so who knows
how authentic it is

 UCT originated as a tertiary education offshoot at SACS (South African College Schools - there is a joke: "How can you tell if someone went to SACS?" To which the answer is: "They'll tell you!") SACS has been around since 1829 and was the first school in South Africa (for boys only, of course!) and retains a certain prestige.

The tertiary section began to grow from about the 1880's and right back in 1887 the first women were allowed to register (it is a little annoying that it is phrased like that - even though it is me writing - but such were the times). The chemistry Prof who advocated the inclusion of women has had the chemistry building named after him - PD Hahn. Approximately half of the students currently at UCT are female. Some of the more famous ones also have buildings named after them: Cissy Gool was the first black woman to graduate from UCT (in 1932).

Some of the more bizarre art work
displayed on campus. (Keep in mind
I am a scientist and possibly breaking
all sorts of rules saying that)

Original 1918 design by JM Solomon
(1884 - 1920) with domed roof. 

UCT officially became a thing in 1918 and UCT as we know it, on the slopes of Devil's Peak in the 1920's. Jameson hall is named after a previous Prime Minister of the Cape that incidentally had been imprisoned for leading the Jameson Raid on the old Transvaal. It was meant to have a domed roof, but supposedly the money ran out (it still happens!)




In the apartheid years, it was nicknamed: "Little Moscow on the hill" because of its opposition to apartheid. It has 1/4 of the countries A-Rated scientists, 3 Nobel Laureates among the alumni and is the best rated university in the country (and won this years rugby intervarsity cup with a truly dramatic ending). There is no doubt that UCT has a lot to be proud of and yet the official heritage tour still includes some really weird pieces of art.

"The Skull Series"
by Neels Coetzee

"Hoerikwaggo"
by Gavin Younge

I think the most bizarre is "Hoerikwaggo" (the Khoisan name for Table Mountain) but I only see that (unless taking Norwegians around) at graduation and I think it looks a little like someone in a graduation cloak so that's pretty cool actually. The one that is in the heart of the John Day Building is the skull series. I have never really understood what is happening in this statue, but it was a useful platform for squishing us all together for our BSc graduation photos (which are pre-digital)

BSc graduants in a pre-digital age!

The Oracle
by Bruce Arnott

I do quite like the water feature "The Oracle" which has layers of symbolism associated with the "I CHING trigrams on the Taoist sun disc" but I just find it calming and pretty particularly since it has been empty and dirty for so many of the years that I have been on campus. And of course I love campus for its ivy, symmetry and amazing back drop... but you know that already!