Youth Day

It is exam time at my university at the moment. A couple of years ago the university started using new exam scheduling software, and exams were inadvertently scheduled for Youth Day. Which I didn't notice at all actually - I'm a postgrad, I don't write exams, so I don't bother looking at the timetable.

I first heard about it when SASCO started making noise about it. And the university were digging their heels in an refusing to do anything about it.

I don't get very angry often But on this occasion I did, and before I knew it I had sent an angry email to the Dean of Students. Which the Dean of Students then forwarded on to the Registrar. And I spent a few days being afraid I would be expelled. (Silly of me!)

Anyway, to to commemorate Youth Day 2009, here is the email:


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Dear ...

When I first heard that exams were being written on Youth Day, I was shocked. Tven then I assumed it must have been a mistake in the timetable planning, but nonetheless I was shocked that there was no announcement that it would be changed, no apparent remorse on the part of the university. Just an announcement from the SRC that if people writing exams on that day had a problem with it, they should contact them.

To me, this was shocking. I found it completely disrespectful, belittling our country's history. This is not just an issue of a few people who happen to be writing that day, its an issue for all of us. And a fundamental issue, to my mind, is that the university seems not to care at all.

Then the timetable changed, so we heard, because SASCO made their voice heard? And I was glad. And now I hear again that people are writing exams on Youth Day.

Now I understand that the reason exams were initially scheduled for that day was a mistake. I understand that now some of the students whose exams were scheduled for that day might prefer for them to be on that day, because if they are changed at this stage they will have awful timetables.

I understand this. I sympathize with the universities mistake - an easy oversight, new scheduling software, I heard? I sympathize with the students who now would prefer to write on Youth Day - better write then than suffer with a terrible timetable.

But I am horrified that it came to this. I am horrified at Rhodes silence, when the least we could expect is an apology. I am horrified that people had to make a fuss not to write exams on Youth Day. And I'm very disappointed
that Rhodes seems not to care.

To quote someone from the Rhodes forums:

"im dissappointed, infact ashamed, possibly angry

at the SRC and the student body as a whole We have really taken student
apathy to a whole new level....
Whether you write on that day or not that is not the point; the point is
atleast 1/4 of us our here because of the youth who died this day that we
are greatly disregarding"

I too am disappointed, in fact ashamed, possibly angry.

I know there is probably nothing that can be done to change things at this point, but I just wanted to express my disappointment in the university.

Regards,
...