Volblad Dorings met foto`s Marching mascot

Founded ● 1962 ● Gestig
Volume 47
June 2009
Nr 2
Marching mascot
Player 23 has been making his
rounds this year...
Has this paid off?
See page 6!
European trip
Charl de Beer reports on the charming
countries, the gorgeous girls and a
controversial rugby match
far from home...
Page 2
Shelton Benjamin:
“I’m back!”
Your favourite cartoonist
does it again!
Rock vs Rap
Musical face-off!
Read page 5
Spesiaal vir julle:
Volblad Dorings met foto’s
Photo: Stacey Scott
CHARL DE BEER
Eurotrip 2009: the trip of a lifetime.
When the momentum started
building up in August last year, not
even the most optimistic among the
carefully hand-picked group could
have predicted the extent to which
Europe would amaze.
After the rigorous selection process,
the wheels were set in motion and the
work started. The announced group
consisted of Johnny Fassler, Edward
Venter, JM Henning, Reinhardt Venter,
Ben Smit, Keagan Goddard, Charl de
Beer, Naudé van der Merwe, Julian van
der Spuy, Gé Korsten, Ben Brooker,
Jono Oxenham, Hanru Redelinghuys,
Gert Engelbrecht, Renier Botha, Rian
Stone, Gustav Andrag, Christiaan
Wium, JJ Stegman, BJ van der Walt and
Pieter Van Rooyen accompanied by Ms
Conradie and Mss Rossouw.
Our presentations were held to a
very high standard and we were all
very relieved, especially Ms Conradie,
when they were deemed acceptable.
All that lay between us and our trip
was some rigorous rugby training from
Mr Truter. Being a team with a great
variety of playing ability, this challenge
seemed rather daunting, but was
eventually overcome (or so we hoped).
A little more than a month before our
departure, our German guests from
Gabriël-von-Seidl Gymnasium arrived.
Almost immediately many valuable
friendships were formed and the visit
was greatly enjoyed by all. But before
we knew it, they were gone and the time
to depart had arrived …
Germany
We left sunny SA on the 25th of
March, feeling both excited and nervous
and not knowing what to expect. After
a brief stopover in Dubai (during which
a certain group member was mistaken
for an Arab) and two very long flights,
we arrived in München, only to be
greeted by our beaming hosts dressed
in traditional Bavarian clothing and
waving a South African flag. This set
the mood and Germany just seemed to
get better and better with each passing
day. Not even the freezing temperatures
could dampen our spirits, as this only
Playing the Frenchies
Semper
JUNE 2009
AKTUEEL ● ACTUAL
Tour d’Europe
Photo: Alet Conradie
Why is it so warm outside?
resulted in many a snowball fight in
our hometown of Bad Tölz. Every
single day was a new adventure, but
a few of the outings that will remain
steadfast in the memory banks would
be the beautiful Wieskirche church;
the Schloss Neuschwanstein castle
of the apparently “insane” King
Ludwig; the heart-wrenching Dachau
concentration camp and last, but not
least, our day trip to Munich. This last
trip included everything from the brief
disappearance of Jono, apparently due
to an Argentinean dude, to refreshments
at the famed Hofbrau House en masse.
Departure from Germany was cause
for quite a few tears as we said a sad
goodbye to a place we had come to love
so quickly.
Holland
Ons Hollandse ervaring begin só:
as gevolg van ’n effense logistieke
problem en baie streng Duitse lughawepersoneel, het ons juffrouens op die
een of ander manier die vlug gemis en
agtergebly in München. Hierdie was
oorsaak vir effense paniek onder die
onderwyseresse en eindelose genot
onder die seuns. Gelukkig het almal
Photo: Alet Conradie
uiteindelik veilig aangekom en ons
het ’n baie vriendelike ontvangs gekry
van ons Hollandse gashere. Ons is
vinnig ingelig dat daar daardie aand ’n
verwelkomingspartytjie sou wees. ’n
Bietjie aanpassing was nodig in terme
van die Hollandse gewoonte om orals
te “fietsen”, maar die aand was nog
steeds uiters genotvol en die bekende
gesegde “matigheid voor oë” is goed
toegepas. Na die naweek se pret het
almal effens moeg, maar uiters dapper,
die Maandagoggend se aanbiedings
angepak. Almal was baie beïndruk
met die tegnologie van St. Canisius,
alhoewel die akademiese reaksie dalk
nie heeltemal voldoende was aan die
hoë standaard wat Duitsland gemeet
het nie. Verder was die hoogtepunte
die toere deur Almelo en Deventer, die
skoolsirkus, Johnny se 18de verjaardag
en laastens die asemrowende (en
soms skokkende …) Amsterdam: dit
sluit in die Van Gogh-Museum en die
Rijksmuseum. Daarna was dit weer tyd
om te pak en reg te maak vir die laaste
been van die toer.
France
After a long train trip we arrived in
Lille on Saturday, 11 April. We were
then taken by bus to the impressive
school grounds of College de Marcq
where we were greeted by the customary
two-cheek kiss. The next day, neatly
clad in our step-outs, we visited the
deeply moving Delville Wood, a
memorial to the South Africans who
gave their lives during WWI. Four Paul
Roos Old Boys (all Rhodes Scholars)
died in battles in teh area. We then
had a long weekend to get to know our
host families, which for some included
a quick trip to the Belgian coast. Then
it was time for presentations again as
well as trips to some very interesting
museums Then the big day arrived, the
North vs South rugby clash. We started
the day with a very relaxing bus tour of
Lille, but very quickly found ourselves
in the locker room, psyching up and
hearing some inspirational words from
our fearless leader, Gé Korsten. The
first embarrassment, on their part, was
to load the wrong song, opting for the
Nkosi sikelele prayer instead of our
national anthem. This just served as
a further reminder of why they were
in dire need of a good thrashing. The
second embarrassment was the fact that
the referee was the opposing team’s
apparently slightly fanatical coach
who seemed to have made one trip
too many to the famed Burger King.
From 15m behind play, one would
imagine the task of making decisive
calls to be rather difficult but this didn’t
stop him from making, reversing and
signalling unknown infringements at
will. The final (and most unforgivable)
embarrassment was when Gert sustained
a serious injury from a highly illegal
tackle and had to wait 45 minutes for
Parlez-vous français?
the paramedics to arrive. The eventual
score was a slightly disappointing 33. We spent our remaining days in the
school program giving presentations,
one of which included an added “tribaldance” to the tune of Umshini wami.
A tour of the picturesque Belgian town
of Brugge concluded the visit. Soon we
were packed and on the bus on our way
to Paris.
Paris
Paris seems to have its own charisma,
its own character and energy, a certain
joie de vivre, so to speak. This was
immediately picked up on by the
group as we stopped next to the worldrenowned Eiffel Tower. Luckily we
could enter as a group and skipped
the queues, which despite the weather
were surprisingly long. After taking in
the awe-inspiring view from the top,
we headed back down, only to find
another spectacle: the illegal hawkers
playing their favourite game. This
game includes running away from, and
laughing at, the police chasing them.
We spent the rest of the day touring
through the city’s main attractions on
a bus, catching sight of things such as
The Champs-Elysées, Notre Dame, the
Sacrée Coeur and Arc de Triomphe to
name but a few. We finally arrived at
our hotel, exhausted yet elated at the
prospect of another three days in this
wonderful city. It was time to say some
teary goodbyes to our hosts (who had
joined us for the day) and explore some
of the nearby supermarkets … For the
next day’s sightseeing, the group would
be splitting up. Half the group ventured
off independently to experience the
wonders of EuroDisney and the other
half joined the teachers on the trip
to the famous castle and gardens of
Versailles. Both trips were extremely
successful. That night, stories such as
dancing for money (successfully!) at
EuroDisney, the legendary negotiating
skills of Ms Conradie and the shocking
beauty and over-indulgence of
Versailles were making the rounds.
Most decided on an early night for the
following day’s shopping. The rest of
our stay in Paris consisted mostly out
of exploration, shopping and sampling
the very enjoyable nightlife Paris has to
offer. We were also fortunate enough
to see parts of the impossibly massive
Louvre art museum. Our last official
excursion was a “Paris by night” boat
trip on the Seine, a beautiful trip that
we will be hard-pressed to forget. After
an adventurous night out, we returned
(some slightly later than others) to
Photo: Alet Conradie
our hotel to pack, almost unwilling to
believe that such a magical experience
was coming to an end.
We arrived at the airport only to find
that our baggage was well overweight
but again, out of nowhere, Ms Conradie
negotiated us out of it (again), something
for which JJ was especially thankful …
By now we were all missing home and
after a long flight and a last shopping
rush during our stopover in Dubai, we
arrived to thankful, and in some cases
tearful, parents. However, the sons
they received were not those they had
said goodbye to. It would be safe to
say that this trip was a life-changing
one. All those who may be offered this
opportunity in future: grab it, it is of
immeasurable worth. Many thanks to
Wild Travel, without whom this would
not be possible and of course to our
fearless leaders, Mss Rossouw and
Conradie: Merci beaucoup. Au revoir
Semper
JUNE 2009
Nog ‘n kwartaal is verby en daar het
‘n paar dorings mooi kop uitgesteek
die afgelope paar maande.
Daar was die KKNK, 18de’s en ook
die toer na Europa wat dit maklik
gemaak het om hierdie keer verslag
te doen oor al die Paul Roosers en hul
sosiale aktiwiteite en flaters. Ek, Sly
Fly, het verlede kwartaal ‘n paar eiers
gelê en ek het nou ‘n swerm vlieë wat
vir my werk. So daar gaan jou kanse om
ongeskend weg te kom. Wees gewaarsku
dat iemand in jou vriendekring dalk net
‘n vlieg mag wees. Al raad wat ek het:
moet niemand vertrou nie. Sterkte. SF
Matrikulante
KKNK
JitzeE het soos gewoonlik ‘n paar
skandes gemaak, hy was ongelukkig
genoeg om sy 18de tydens die KKNK
te vier. Weens ‘n lang rit en ‘n tekort
aan vitamienes moes hy die volgende
oggend apteek toe hardloop vir ‘n
salfie. JacoB was emosioneel en fisies
ongesond. MartinB se geluk met die
skoner geslag het hom in die steek gelaat.
Sy boulwerk was uiters onekonomies
en MarizanneU en Rozanne het hom
gestraf daarvoor. TubbyE het vergeet
om sonskerm aan te smeer en dit het
hom gekos. Hy moes as gevolg hiervan
meeste van sy tyd in die tente deurbring,
maar blykbaar is daar baie nuwe dinge
om te ontdek in ‘n tent. LouisLG het
vergeet dat Mickey van Gim nie single
is nie en hy moes dit tot sy teleurstelling
agterkom. EugeneVDH was omkant
gevang deur die vermaak wat die fees
AKTUEEL ● ACTUAL
bied en hy het so opgewonde geraak dat
hy sy eie karatestalletjie oopgemaak
het. ZahnT het gedink die feeskasteel is
‘n griekse troue en die bouncers moes
van hom ontslae raak.
Algemeen
SteanW het die laaste tyd van sy
verantwoordelikhede vergeet en dit
het hom gekos. Hy sê hy is nou ‘n
ander mens en die ervaring het sy hele
uitkyk op die lewe verander. AlbertM
het sy iPod verloor en hy luister nou
na die soet deuntjie van MihkeH.
GuilaumeN weet dit, maar dit het
nie ‘n romantiese oomblik tussen
die koshuishoofmeisie (Mihke) en
koshuishoofseun (Guillaume) voorkom
nie. Blykbaar gaan Huis Bloemhof en
Prima Nova baie meer take gesamentlik
aanpak in die tyd wat voorlê. LucasR
het nou vergeet van sy vorige liefde en
hy en AllessandraN spandeer nou baie
tyd saam by romantiese plekke soos die
wine emporium, JurgenDJ maak almal
deurmekaar. Hy het ‘n hok vol poue,
maar hy slag nooit een nie. Is dit nou
Meagan, Celeste of Rosanne, Jurgen?
LouisLG het die ‘Big Brag’ kortgeknip
en het sy 18de ten volle geniet. Hy en
JasonF was altwee baie opgewonde oor
die interskole teen Grey PE en hulle
het hulle harte uigeveg op die baan en
veld onderskeidellik. Die Doringrosie
kompetisie het ook gesorg vir sappige
nuus. AltoDK en AllesandraN was ‘n
paartjie, maar hulle het dit dalk net te
ernstig opgevat by JurgenDJ se 18de.
MikhailK het glo die meeste punte
gehad, maar weens ‘n brandalarm
was hy gediskwalifiseer en AltoDK
het met die louere weggestap. NielG
en FrancoisVC is die laaste tyd beste
vriende en voor die FPK gig het hulle
twee saam die Sharks teen die Bulls
gekyk in Tollies. ShaunG het die prys
gekry vir die bekendste ou in Paul
Roos. Geluk. Die busse het gesorg
vir joligheid op die pad terug van PE
af. Die honde het die naam verander
van intercape na intercubana. Panda
dryf handel met onwettige aksie films
terwyl Barnyard middelman speel.
Hulle grootste kliënte is Tsjirpie en
JHM. En nou vir ‘n paar somme:
EugeneVDH+
GuillaumeN=IsabelP.
Ha n noM+JitzeE=Ka rla K.
GustaveDB+Sune’V+KarinB=
Te
vinnig te veel. JP+Cloë= Golden
Lions en ChristoK+Lari=in love op
mxit. MartinB=1ste, 2de, 3de, 4de.
Gavin spandeer meeste van sy tyd in
PRG in die badkamers. ConstantS het
uiteindellik sy droommeisie gevind, dit
was toe tot almal se verbasing nie die
een op Stilbaai se strand nie, maar die
droom is nou weer verby en dis terug
na realiteit en rugby. Bakkie pleeg
egte kuikenmoord terwyl Kleinbak
net glimlag en oogknip. Paul Roos het
10 Dinee het JondreK en LouiseV erens
alleen gegaan. Toe JacoO vir hom vra
wat gebeur het, was hy baie skaam
daaroor en hy sê toe net dat Bloemhof
nooit weer dieselfde gaan wees nie.
BraamS wil baie graag vir RioL hê,
maar sy gee hom toe nog ‘n geelkaart,
omdat sy nog bietjie Bokke wil jag. Lyk
my hy is net goed met late tackles en
sy bowling technique kort afrigting.
DivanV wil graag op DanelleM se
defnitief sy merk gelos op die “Friendly
City”
Graad 11
AllesandraN se klein sussie LaraN
was byna twee dae in Stellenbosch, en
toe is SebastianG op haar case. Nadat
LaraN vir SebastianG gelos het, was
sy kort daarna agter DaneS aan. Op
hulle tweede dag saam maak hy en sy
‘n lekker Mrs Balls chutney sandwich.
Durbanville style. Die volgende dag
kuier PhiaLR in Durbanville, en
DaneS het baie gou vir haar laat tuis
voel. Toe LaraN daarvan uitvind, het
sy onmiddellik vir DaneS gelos en
liewers sy kamermaat StephanVdM
gevat. Terwyl MarcC en IsabelP saam
was, het hy ‘n vininge peuselhappie van
Drumline danser AshleighR gekry. Dit
was maar net ‘n vinnige uitstappie toe
is MarcC weer terug by IsabelP en het
nooit vir haar van die gebuertenis gesê
nie. Nou weet sy.
TinaLeR het MarcC maklik opgetel
nadat sy vir Soloms en InnesM en ‘n
gr10 op haar haar besige scorecard
afgetick het. By die Bloemhof Graad
krieketblad bowl maar sy het
ander planne en is baie besig
in ‘n rowwe wedstryd met
haar 1ste span waterpolo
en rugby speler ClintL.
Uitstekend Clint. Jy is
goed. StephanB soek vir
hom ‘n meisie maar
al die dames het
agtergekom dat
sy besering te
ernstig was en
hom gelos vir
sy 2 jaar-lange
rehabilitasie.
AlbertB het vir
KarinB gelos sodat
hy meer op sy balkie
tally kan werk en fokus
op sy “nice ou” leefstyl. Toe hy en Karin
uitgegaan het, het hy nie genoeg hande
gehad om elke Leerlingraadslid mee
te groet nie. FrancoisS en SuzanneN
was vir ‘n tydie meer as goeie buddies,
maar toe vind hy uit dat SuzanneN nog
voor dit op PietS se voorstoep gekuier
het. Hy het dit gevat en eerder op sy
rugby en dans talent gefokus. Ek dink
dis hoog tyd dat Millie en LouwrieE hul
verhouding na die volgende trap moet
vat , al is dit maar ‘n gesonde 2 maande
nadat hulle mekaar ontmoet het op ‘n
KKNK avontuur in die Kango Grotte.
JohanA vertel deesdae baie interessante
stories van ‘n karnuffeling met meisies
terwyl hulle ouens langs hulle sit op ‘n
bus Ceres toe. Daar is ook ‘n dringende
versoek dat iemand ‘n vrywillige dame
vir Vurk kan vind sodat hy sy plofkrag
by ander geleenthede kan gebruik as in
die gym.
Eurotrip
In Europa was RianS baie besig. Hy
het bewys dat die Louvre nie net ‘n
museum is nie, maar dat daar ook mooi
Serwiese dames is wat altyd raad het
vir as jy verdwaal. ‘n Franse dame het
ook vir Rian geval en haar Fransman
vir hom gelos. BenS het die eerste aand
in Duitsland te veel geniet en hy moes
homself afkoel in die sneeu. Almal, tot
BJVDW het Buffalo gespeel. EdwardV
lyk blykbaar nie net soos ‘n Jood nie.
Hy was op Dubai se lughawe misgis vir
‘n arabier en hy was deursoek voordat
hy op die vliegtuig kon klim. Die hele
groep ambassadeurs het intiem geraak
met die Eiffel Toring.
Geniet julle vakansie! SF
Fotograwe:
Paul Roos Paparazzi
Semper
JUNE 2009
REDAKSIONEEL ● EDITORIAL
IN PERSPEKTIEF
Cartoon
Garth Arenz
I want to give thanks to every single
Paul Rooser for his hard work
during this term and for really
showing a turn-around in attitude
and work ethic.
By putting all our efforts together
and striving towards a common Paul
Roos goal, we came out on top every
single time. We scored brilliant results
against Grey PE and had an undefeated
Winter’s Day at SACS. I’ve never in
my life heard of our school not losing
or even drawing a single game in both
hockey and rugby out of over 30 games!
A truly remarkable achievement !
At the start of the term I gave a
speech during assembly to “wake
up” those of you who have given up
on their hopes at Paul Roos, and had
stopped performing as they know they
can. The aim of this speech was also to
reunite everyone so that we can be as
proud as ever when we achieve and all
share in earning success. That speech
forms part of my article.
I believe in Paul Roos and I believe in
every single one of you. Back yourself
and go all out – it’s make or break from
here on. Geniet die vakansie en kom
veilig terug. Ek hoop almal van julle is
tevrede met julle punte.
Here is a gentle reminder:
From the start of the year till halfway
through, I’ve realised that many things
have taken place. Ek wil met julle
hieroor gesels en vir julle wys of ons
wel enige vordering sover gemaak het.
Now my message is in some respects
a rather upsetting one. However there
are a few “silver linings” in the clouds
that I’d like you to take to heart and
appreciate.
Out of the 9 full, potential years that
we get to contribute to Paul Roos, our
5 (matrics), your 5 (grade 8-11), minus
1 year because we do one together,
equals 9 years … we have brought the
school down! This is quite a powerful
statement, but I’d like you to think
about it.
We are now less of an elite school!
We were hand-picked, but often I’m
not sure whether some of us were handpicked out of the good schools or out of
the bush.
Ons maniere, waardes en geneigdheid
om fokus en belangstelling in ons eie
huis te verloor, stem dus ooreen met
wat ek so pas oor die bos gese het.
P-R-G is deesdae meer bekend as
net Paul Roos. Ons verloor sommer
die “G” vir Gentlemanship en Gees.
Wanneer gaan ons die “P” en die “R”
verloor? Binnekort? Of gaan ons die
“G” terugvat? Ek weet nie. Die trots
en die respek het in die laaste paar jaar
verdwyn!
Where are we going? Waarheen is ons
op pad? Do we as Paul Roosers have to
say, at this point: “NOWHERE”? Some
of us have already said it. It really seems
that way. There is really so little growth
taking place in our school.
As ons ons vordering op ’n grafiek
moet plaas, dan sal dit heel waarskynlik
’n dalende grafiek wees. Presteer ons
nog steeds soos ons werklik kan op
die sportveld, in akademie, deur ons
waardes (ons Paul Roos-waardes) te
behou en nog steeds te ondersteun?
Partykeer ja, maar meestal is dit
onmoontlik om iets met die skool te
doen.
We need to grow as a school and as a
family. Society has forced us to change,
but we will not. They say no seniority,
but we maintain it. Society is illdisciplined, but we will be disciplined!
I don’t care what you do at home, but we
will act as one!
We will be Paul Roosers. We are not a
declining graph; we won’t accept it. We
stay above it. We need to grow. Or do
you want to throw it all away?
Do you want to come back here
sometime from now and find a local,
common, typical school that no longer
withstands the test of time? Please tell
me this is not the case!
But you complain about leadership,
but you don’t control your own lives.
Lifts to sporting events have now
been made available, but you don’t
organise your own lifts to go and
support. Respect – you say you don’t
get any … but do you give any? Bad
teaching is another complaint … but
you don’t study or do your homework.
Our teams lose, but do you give your
best and support? NO! You are the
problem, making us the problem. If
you’re innocent, then you’re lucky to
be part of a small group.
Die dissipline verbeter hier en
daar, maar mense dra nog steeds die
verkeerde sokkies, dasse, skoene,
skoolklere – en hulle hare is te lank.
Ons weet al hoe lank dat jy jou stepouts na die rugby en hokkie toe moet
dra ... met ’n maroen baadjie, en nie
met ’n blou baadjie nie. The “Team
of the week” initiative was started to
improve support. Die vraag is: gaan
dit werk? Wat doen jy om ’n bydrae
te lewer? Jy verdien dit nie om hier te
wees nie! Wil jy stry? Wie sal weet as
jy hulle nie verkeerd bewys nie?
Het jy jou Paul Roosheid verloor?
Have you lost your Paul Roosness? As
jy nie hierdie vraag wil beantwoord
nie, dan sal jy niks verander nie.
Hierdie negejaar-effek wat ons op
Paul Roos sover gemaak het: hoe
groot is dit? Ons kan ’n massiewe
verskil maak! Ons Matrieks sal ons
jaar opoffer om volgende jaar en die
volgende 3 jaar van ons 9 jaar effek
beter te maak.
Don’t hold back. Don’t be selfish.
May what you truly are and what you
do for the school reflect this upcoming
term. The ball is in our court! It’s our
move!
Please … or we’ll be last in all our
attempts to be truly great.
Semper splendidior!
Editorial
Paul Roos Gymnasium truly is
something different from all other
schools in the country, if not in the
world. Its distinguishing factor is not
the teachers at the school, it is not the
outstanding academic results that we
see in the newspapers year after year,
and it is definitely not the champagne
rugby that we witness Saturday after
Saturday. Instead, Paul Roos’ preeminence is defined by its brilliant
diversity of learners.
Genl. JBM Hertzog, DF Malan, Jan
Smuts, Paul Roos, Anton Lubowski,
Koos Kombuis, Etienne van Heerden,
Justin Swart, Schalk Britz, Andries
Bekker – hulle was almal hier. En
soos Suid-Afrika gewandel het deur sy
donker tye, sy kulturele ontploffing en
sy vestiging van ’n reёnboognasie, só het
Paul Roos ook gegroei en verander wat
betref die leerders en geskiedkundige
oomblikke wat hy oplewer. Van ’n
diverse groep eerste ministers na
die Voёlvry-beweging en uiteindelik
Nelson Mandela, wat in 2003 die
opening van die Sentrum veramptelik
het. Paul Roos het ’n geskiedenis om op
trots te wees.
“The SABC is predictable, cowardly
and spineless,” Zapiro said, commenting
on the fact that an episode of Special
Assignment had not been aired because
of its controversial material. In an
attempt to avoid being attributed with
these adjectives, and without wanting
to becompared to The Sun, SEMPER
has finally had a bit of a face-lift. Alas,
page three is less entertaining! But do
enjoy the full page of Dorings, where
Jitze seems to be featuring more than
ever. He’ll be proud. Well done, son!
Die matrieks is alreeds besig om te
sluk-sluk aan die gedagte dat daardie
uiteindelike Z al hoe nader kom, en
soos ’n klomp waaghalsige resiesmotte
wag die graad 11’s op hul beurt om deur
die Goue Hek te stap. Almal wag ook in
spanning om te sien of ons op die 20ste
Augustus die jaar gaan afsluit in goue
vorm, maar die hoogtepunt van die jaar
het sekerlik klaar geseisoeneer die aand
wat ons vir Grey PE gesê het om op hul
eie hokkie-velde te sit.
From here, in preparation of Grey
High, 40 Days and Plett Rage, every
matric will have to decide wheter
he’s going to be a bacon or an egg.
Let’s hope the juggernaut which is the
Maroon stays strong in the second half
of this year.
Edd
HOOFREDAKSIE
HOOFREDAKTEUR
Nicolaas Oosthuizen
ADJUNKREDAKTEUR
Christopher Falck
UITLEG:
Stephan Kistner
SPORTREDAKTEUR
Albert Marais
NUUSREDAKTEUR
Gustave du Bois
KULTUURREDAKTEUR
Trohan Bekker
REDAKSIE
NUUS:
Jason Fairhurst, Bunna Booyens,
Erik Mostert, Kobus Smit,
Jurgen de Jager
FOTOGRAFIE:
Andre Liebenberg
BEMARKING:
Christo Kleinhans
Jacobus Carstens
SKAKELONDERWYSERS:
A Conradie
H van der Mescht
Reader’s Block
Eugene van den Heever:
Ek love SEMPER! Ek is altyd trots
om ons kwartaallikse skoolkoerant
terug te vat Windhoek toe.
Merwe Roux:
My meisie, Melandie, sê SEMPER
is ongetwyfeld die beste skoolkoerant
in die land. Dit beteken baie.
Lucas Roothman:
Hoekom skryf julle so baie artikels?
Ons wil net prentjies kyk!
Stephan du Plessis:
Hoekom is Poloklere so duur?
Die ou op die perd dra ‘n Lacoste
hemp!
Stean Everywhere Weyers:
Ek kuier gereeld!
Lee-Frank Williams:
Ek is mal oor die SEMPER. It’s
finger-licking good!
Andre Botha:
Ek dink ‘Bid vir My’ was ‘n
interessante kolom, maar hoekom
verskuil julle die identiteit van die
skrywer?
Johan Olivier:
Is dit waar dat Francois VC ‘Bid vir
My’ skryf?
Edd:
Nee
RUBRIEKE ● COLUMNS
Semper
JUNE 2009
In the trees with
STEVE
“Wat het van ons geword?” vra
Francois van Coke terwyl Breyten
Breytenbach by die hospitaalkamer
uitgewiel word. “Hy probeer om
onopgemerk van skadukol tot
skadukol te sluip alhoewel dit byna
twee-uur in die nag is.” Breyten klink
baie deurmekaar.
“Hy voel effens ongemaklik. En
waarom tog?” Ons almal luister,
aandagtig en verward. “Het hy miskien
’n misdaad gepleeg?” Nou kyk ons na
hom, omgekrap. Sy bed nader die deur
soos hy sy swanesang afsluit: “Niemand
het my gesien nie,” dink hy verlig. “Die
dood is te sterk! Alles draai gesigte
weg.”
Dis ’n goeie vraag, Francois, dink
ek so in my enigheid as ons hoor hoe
Breyten by die trappe opgedra word:
“Wat het van ons geword?” Hunter
Kennedy steek nog ’n sigaret aan en
kyk na Zapiro wat met sy nuwe Zuma of
the Caribbean-pop speel. Francois volg
Hunter se voorbeeld en, per ongeluk, sê
ek hardop, “Dit gaan julle doodmaak!”
Hunter en Francois draai na my toe en
lyk asof hulle aan bomskok ly. “Maar ek
is al lankal dood,” sê Francois, terwyl
’n rookwolk in die kamer kom hang.
“Ons is op soek na die soeke na Iets!”
Ag Hunter, wil ek mompel, die Iets het
lankal genoeg gehad; te veel geslaap, te
veel gedroom, te veel gesterf.
“I hereby dismiss Mr Zuma on all
charges!” And your chins dropped.
Your hopes vanished. Your belief
in a constitutional democracy was
decimated.
You were merely following your
sunken hearts. “Lies, lies and more
lies,” you moaned. You sad old sob!
You were scratching your heads and
wondering when to leave the country ...
I was dancing and ululating at Newtown
for approximately seven hours straight.
No, I’m not the “if you can’t beat
them, join them” type of guy. Instead,
I am the type of guy who is afraid of
the masses. I look at countries like
Kenya, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, and
I notice why civil wars and genocides
take place. What do you think would
have happened if Mr Zuma was placed
behind bars? You wouldn’t stop praying
to your God if a court of law ruled it to
be illegal. I can tell you one thing; our
great leader wouldn’t have been the only
one asking for a machine gun. No sir, I
would have been in the cue myself!
Think about this statistic: In a notso-recent-survey which was conducted
among ANC supporters it was revealed
that 51% of Zuma’s followers do not
believe in his innocence. In other
words, they don’t care if he is guilty or
not. And quite frankly, neither should
you. There is no such thing as a lawful
politician. Not in Africa, not in America
and especially not in Europe!
I had a heated discussion about the
future of this country with a couple
of my sceptical friends and I was
posed a very significant question. I
was asked to name a single country
in Europe; a country led by a leader
who is less corrupt than our president,
Jacob Zuma. I could not think of a
single one. “Oh, but they haven’t been
to court?” Your moaning really does
irritate me. The fact is; they’ve known
for a very long time what we’ve only
recently discovered: ignorance is bliss,
countrymen and -women.
First of all there’s nothing to worry
about. Jacob Zuma, though a very
good politician, is a man with limited
ambitions. The limit? Becoming
president of the Republic of South
Africa. That’s it. That was the one and
only goal of our man in shower. I mean
in office. From there, he has allowed us
to understand through the appointment
of the new cabinet that it will not be up
to him.
There are other big dogs who are more
than capable of taking this country to
new heights. Which is great, except
for the amount of money we, the taxpaying citizens, will have to produce
in order for these deputies-in-charge
to do their jobs. Yes, poor readers, we
will be taxed for running this country
successfully.
As it is in each other country in the
world, of course! Zuma himself said
that leading this country is a huge
responsibility which each and every
South African must account for.
Many a good man has been put under
a bridge by deception. We are the fools
in a democratic monarchy.
Damn, this wine tastes cheap. Deo
volente, it will get better. For now
though, I’ll take the monkey for an
afternoon walk. Yes, the gadabout
leaves trails, but who really cares?
Incorruptibly yours
The tied up, innocent, sincere,
unambituous, ANC-supporting underground Martian Man: Steve
’n Nuwe pasiёnt word ingewiel.
’n Stilte daal oor ons neer. “Loftus
Marais?” vra ek retories, “Ek is
die digter as Rockstar,” sê die jong
banneling. “Welcome to the club,”
sê ek vir myself en loer weer by die
venster uit. My whiskeyglas is al weer
leeg. Daar moet Iets wees. Iets wat
verantwoordelik is vir die kruis wat
heilig skyn op die heuwel wat ons
tralie-bedekte panorama toegee. Iets
wat die gebou in Kerkstraat op Sondae
volmaak. Iets wat die grafstene in die
begrafplaas minder morbied laat lyk.
“Wie moet ek bel?” skree Francois. “Sê
vir hom ons het hom nie meer nodig
nie,” antwoord Hunter terwyl hy sy
sigaret dood druk. “Die liewe manne in
blou? Sou graag iemand anders probeer
blameer!” Francois het te veel gehad
van Noag se sap. Die kamer is weer
stil.
As daar ooit ’n tyd was vir hom om sy
gesig te wys, dan is dit nou. Nou, terwyl
Griekse mitologie en evolusie op skool
aan kwesbare, ongeletterde leerlinge
verklaar word. En dan wat? Wat sê ons:
Wanhoop in lewende lywe, wanneer hy
sy vasgespykerde kloue na ons kant toe
wys? “Hom netjies verduidelik dat my
catsuit (opgevou in die groot tas langs
die vanity case) fire-resistant is!” sê
Loftus, met ’n verdragsame glimlag.
Haha! Dit sou die dag wees. O, leser,
ek hoop u bid nog vir my! Bid harder,
leser, ek kan u nie hoor nie!
Zapiro se hande het teruggegroei,
maar hy het besluit sy tone doen ’n beter
werk aangesien hy lanklaas in die hof
was. Is dit nie vir jou ’n wonderwerk
nie? Moet wees. Kan wees. “Nou kort
ek ’n beiteltjie!” sê ek met die hoop
dat iemand my kan uithelp. “Ek het ’n
lugdrukboor!” bied Loftus aan. Dit kan
ook werk.
Ek en Francois deel ’n gedagte:
“Nou moet ek weer verskonings maak.
Liggaam op die lyn. Spraaksaam, maar
verskrik.”
“As daar weer ’n bedelaar by my deur
opdaag gaan ek mal raak”
Musical face-off of the 90’s: Rap versus Rock
NIEL GOLDIE
TROHAN BEKKER
Top 5 Rock songs:
Ah, the 90s, the time of my childhood;
awesome music and a period of change.
Yes the 90s was indeed a great time,
and one of the best for Rock as well.
What does it take to make this
extremely difficult top 5 list of mine?
Well, to name a few things, musical
originality, a memorable chorus, guitar
solo, music video, lyrics, riff and
impact. Let’s get down to it…
5) Unforgiven – Metallica
With the Black Album, Metallica
officially crowned themselves the gods
of Metal. The riffs and guitar work on
this song are some of the finest you will
ever hear, all building up to a climax of
one of Kirk Hammett’s most memorable
guitar solos
4) Killing in the Name – Rage Against
the Machine
The 90s was a time for political
change. Apartheid was abolished,
communism fell flat … the world was
learning from its mistakes. Rage can be
described as pioneers of this political
awareness. With Tom Morello’s highly
original whammy-driven guitar effects,
Tim Commerford’s funktastic bass,
Bill’s rhythmic drums and Zack de
la Rocha’s furious rapping made this
band an instant classic. “Killing in the
Name” attacks all those who abuse the
power they have. The song promotes
individuality and free speech and very
definitively gives a strong message for
us all to take to heart.
3) Bullet With Butterfly Wings –
Smashing Pumpkins
“Despite all my rage, I’m still just a
rat in a cage!” screamed Billy Corgan
in this angst-driven teen rock classic.
The Pumpkins gave an anthem to the
disillusioned youth of the nineties, a
song which accepts the fact that they
can’t win in a world completely against
them, yet urges them to continue using
their rage to fight on and never give up
hope, searching for acceptance even
with all of your nihilism.
2) Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili
Peppers
Under the Bridge can easily be seen as
their most famous and beautiful song.
Heartfelt lyrics of Anthony Kiedis’s bad
days of drug addiction and how, when
he felt lonely, the city still comforted
and accepted him - the perfect song of
redemption.
1) Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Of course this was the answer! The
song that defines the 90’s! The mega
riff! The lyrics! The guitar solo! The
Video! The chorus! This song singlehandedly destroyed a genre (Hair
Metal), created a genre, shaped the
mindset of a generation and became an
anthem for us all to repeat no matter
how many years have passed.
Top 5 Hip-Hop songs
As Hip-Hop music left the 80s (its so
called “Golden Age”) behind, it rode
the crest of a great wave of expectation
into the 90s. What Public Enemy and
Run DMC left in its wake had people
wondering what more could possibly
be squeezed out of Hip-Hop. The
MCs of the late 80s rolled innovation,
experimentation,
excellence
and
political awareness into a big ball and
tossed it to the younger generation.
5) A Tribe Called Quest ft. Busta
Rhymes – Scenario
This jazzy classic was also the
doorway for Busta Rhymes into
mainstream Hip-Hop. Every member
of the group comes together well and
delivers his respective lines with a
nonchalant coolness.
4) The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
This might as well have been a kid’s
cry of joy. It’s a song of celebration,
a song of defiance (“This album is
dedicated to all the teachers that told
me I’d never amount to nothin’”), all
the while supported by Biggie’s everpresent flow. Pop the champagne and
start the party.
3) Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – Nuthin’
But a ‘G’ Thang
This was the father of G-funk, the
sub-genre that ruled Hip-Hop for half
a decade. The prolonged and laid back
beats on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” album
were so influential that Tom Morello
even drew upon it for inspiration for his
solos.
2) Tupac – Dear Mama
The ultimate Ode-to-my-mother song.
This gave fans worldwide a look at the
softer side of the West Coast gangster,
while still displaying his unstoppable
passion and never-ending poetic talent.
1) Common – I Used to Love H.E.R.
It had to be this song. Common
describes one of his childhood friends
at length, going on to describe all her
endeavours over the years. He casually
paints the picture – in a real storytelling manner – before dropping the
last line: “who I’m talkin’ bout y’all is
hip-hop”.
You sit there, putting the pieces
together. It all makes a little more sense
now, but still you’re flabbergasted. The
entire song was an extended metaphor.
The “H.E.R.” is an acronym for “Hip
Hop in its Essence is Real”. Common
took a direct stab at the signs of
commercialisation seen in the Hip-Hop
of the 90’s – a tendency that has, sadly,
thickened ever since.
SPORTBLAD ● SPORTS PAGE
Frikkie Williams
Portret van Frikkie Wiliiams
Foto: Divan Venter
Hanno Burger
ERIK MOSTERT
All of us were born to shine, to excel
and to achieve. All of us experience
an inner compulsion, an inner drive
to rise above the rest, to elevate
ourselves from the world and our
ancestors, to leave behind a legacy
and to etch our names into the
timeless stones of history. That one
thing we all strive after is called
quality.
We’ve
all
experienced
the
difficulties of shining in the world
today. The world is not something
you can just leisurely bite into; it’s a
tough place with various obstacles,
infernos and mantraps. But if we’re
struggling, imagine being in the shoes
of a boy who wakes up every morning
knowing that his legs won’t function
normally, a condition that reduces
even the cleverest of doctors to headscratching and a modest retreat into
his laboratory.
Imagine waking up having to rely on
a mechanical appendix just in order
visit the bathroom, in a world where
people run and walk and take all such
things for granted. Imagine being in
the shoes of Hanno Burger.
We see Hanno every day, passing
by on his crutches or, as of recently,
in his electric car – something which
his friends seem to take great joy in
riding during breaks and a tool which
Hanno has learned to manoeuvre with
the skill of a stuntman and the dare of
a devil, as I saw him doing the other
day. I’ve noticed that although Hanno
may be impaired, he does not seem
to shy away from the world as some
do. We may feel sorry for Hanno, but
Hanno does not seem to pity himself;
he rises above his situation and takes
on the world with an unbreakable
mentality, and that is what sets him
apart. Every day Hanno proves to us
that your ability to shine does not die
with the malfunction of your limbs,
but lives on with what is up there, up
there in your mind.
At the beginning of this year, Hanno
participated in an international event
in Torbes, France, and ended eighth.
This is an extraordinary achievement
and means that Hanno is currently
ranked the eighth best wheelchair
tennis player in the world in his age
group.
Hanno undergoes intensive wheel
chair tennis training at the local
Kainos tennis academy. Hanno told
me that that apart from being allowed
two bounces of the ball and having to
play in a wheelchair, wheelchair tennis
works exactly the same as normal
tennis.
Hanno will unfortunately not attend
the prestigious World Cup due to
cramps, but hopes for the cramps to
cease before attending the upcoming
training camp in Holland, to which the
top international players were invited.
Hanno dreams to become the best
wheelchair tennis player in the world
and says that he places all his trust in
God.
To take on such a cruel world with
such fearlessness and determination
requires the truest, most intense form
of quality one may find in a person.
And for that I rise, take off my hat and
give Hanno a personal slow clap for
being the brave Paul Rooser that he is.
Manus Bester
Christiaan Wium
Geen dorp of skool is volmaak sonder
sy besonderse karakters nie. Hierdie
vreemde en wonderlike mense met
hul interessante persoonlikhede kan
nogal ’n plek máák.
PRG sonder sy Frikkie sal net nie
wees soos ons dit ken nie. Die verskil
wat hierdie bekende figuur al gemaak
het, word nie altyd deur ons raakgesien
nie.
Een van die eerste dinge wat mens leer
as jy by Paul Roos aankom, is om jou
mede-Paul Roosers te respekteer. Die
meeste mense probeer respek afdwing,
maar nie Frikkie nie – hy verdien dit
sommer net.
Frikkie is al 40 jaar by die skool en sy
troue diens spreek vanself. Eienaardig
genoeg is daar nie veel wat ons weet
van hom nie!
Ons het ’n bietjie met Frikkie gesels
oor sy wel en weë by Paul Roos ...
Hoe oud was jy toe jy hier begin werk
het?
Ek was so 20 jaar oud.
Geniet jy dit nog ?
Ja, dit gaan goed. Die kinders het nog
steeds respek vir my en staan op as ek
verbyloop, maar soos enige ander jaar is
daar maar een of twee wat hulle probeer
snaaks hou.
Onder watter rektore het jy al
gewerk?
Eers was dit mnr.Smit, toe mnr. De
Villiers, mnr. Coetzee, mnr.Slabbert,
mnr. Galloway, mnr. De Jager en
deesdae se rektor, mnr. Van der
Westhuizen.
Watter een was die kwaaiste/
strengste?
Daar was eintlik nie een wat kwaai
was nie, maar ek het die meeste met
mnr.De Jager vasgesit. Ons het nie op
mekaar geskel nie, maar hy wou altyd
die dinge perfek hê.
Wat het oor die jare verander wat die
onderwysers en dissipline betref ?
Die onderwysers behandel my steeds
goed en daar is niks om oor te kla nie.
Die dissipline ook nog goed, maar
soos ek gesê het is daar maar altyd een
of twee jongetjies wat hulle probeer
snaaks hou.
Wat het oor die jare verander wat die
leerders betref ?
Daar het nie baie verander nie. Soos
ek gesê het, het hulle nog steeds respek
vir my en staan op as ek verbyloop.
Wat is vir jou die lekkerste van
PRG?
Paul Roos is ’n goeie skool en die
mense behandel my goed. Ek het elke
dag my werkies en daar is nooit ’n tyd
wat ek verveeld is nie.
Semper
JUNE 2009
Wat maak jou die kwaadste ?
Die maniere van sommige seuns.
Het jy self kinders/kleinkinders ?
Ja, ek het twee seuns en een dogter en
dan is ek ’n oupa van drie.
Hoe lank beplan jy nog om hier by
ons te wees ?
Die mense sê ek moet nog so 3 jaar,
maar ek voel nog heel gesond. Die
stappies deur die dag hou my gesond.
Ek sal hier wil bly totdat ek weet my
tyd het gekom.
Dankie vir jou tyd.
EDD’S NOTE:
Namens SEMPER wil ek net
weereens vir meneer Williams
verskriklik dankie sê vir al die ure
en energie wat hy al in die Maroen
Masjien soos olie ingepomp het.
Daar sal altyd net een Frikkie
Williams wees.
Mnr. Williams, ons salueer jou.
DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed in
SEMPER do not necessarily
reflect those of the editorial staff
or the staff of Paul Roos.
Rugby: Die seisoen so ver
ALBERT MARAIS
PRG se eerste rugbyspan is
ongetwyfeld een van die belowendste
rugbyspanne wat PRG nog gesien
het sedert die fenominale jaar van
2006, toe PRG as die nommer een
rugbyskool in die land gekroon is.
Met die seisoen halfpad klaar en met
oorwinnings teen opponente soos
Monument, Waterkloof, Paarl Gim
en Gey PE kan ’n mens voorspel dat
daar nog groter suksesse op PRG
wag.
Na ’n reeks opwarmingswedstryde,
wat deur PRG gewen is, is die 22
beste spelers gekies om deel te neem
aan die jaarlikse St. John’s-toernooi
in Johannesburg. Van die beste
rugbyskole regoor die land word na
hierdie besondere toernooi genooi.
PRG het ’n moeilike reeks wedstryde
gehad: die wedstryd teen Affies, met
die eindtelling 22 – 25 , was nog die
enigste mislukking wat PRG gehad het
in die veertien wedstryde wat al gespeel
is. Nietemin het PRG die volgende dag
weer hul trots herwin deur Monument
te verslaan.
Na die terugkeer van die St. John’stoernooi het die eerste span minder
as ’n week later met opponente soos
Waterkloof en EG Jansen afgereken by
Paarl Gim se rugbydag. Die eerste keer
wat die eerste span voor die Maroen
Machine gespeel het in die seisoen op
Markotter was teen HTS Drosdy. Dit
was ’n eensydige wedstryd wat PRG
oortuigend gewen het, maar almal het
geweet dat ’n oorwinning teen Paarl
Gim die opeenvolgende naweek nie so
maklik sou wees nie.
PRG het in die jaar 2006 laas vir
Paarl Gimnasium geklop en daar is
aangedring dat hierdie jaar PRG s’n
sou wees. Die gees by Markotter was
ongelooflik en die eerste span was vol
selfvertroue. PRG het dit goed reggekry
om die Gimmies behoorlik op hul plek
te sit en het geseëvier met ’n telling van
47 – 36.
Die groot opmars na Grey Port
Elizabeth, waarby ongeveer 600 Paul
Roosers betrokke was, het in dieselfde
“wengees” ontaard. PRG het slegs 2
wedstryde verloor uit die 22 wedstryde
wat gespeel is. Dit sluit die eerste span
in, wat met ’n telling van 20 – 13 as
Constant making a run on the wing
oorwinnaars teruggekeer het. Met
sulke goeie vertonings kan ’n mens as
Paul Rooser baie trots wees op sy span,
maar die seisoen is nog lank, met’n paar
belangrike en moeilike wedstryde wat
nog voorlê. Die platform is gelê met
PRG se eerste span wat tans gereken
word as die nommer 2-skolerugbyspan
in die land, na hul aartsvyande Grey
Bloem. Daardie kragmeting, wat in
Augustus gaan plaasvind, kan nie
misgeloop word nie! Dit gaan ’n riller
wees.
Foto: Andre Liebenberg
FOTOBLAD ● PHOTO PAGE
Semper
JUNE 2009
Fotoblad
1
3
2
4
7
5
6
Jody-Lee Mentoor • Eikestadnuus
9
oranjeblanjeblou
OOK IN VOORRAAD:
· Gordynreëlings
· Kragopwekkers
· Kraggereedskap
· Allerlei Hardeware
· Waterdigtingsmateriale
8
10
11
GERIGISTREERDE
VERFKONTRAKTEURS
· Gratis Kwotasies
· Voor-, gedurende of na-ure
Alle kredietkaarte welkom
Pierre du Preez
082 7791 894
André Cilliers
082 5529 087
13
12
114 Andringa Street, Stellenbosch 7600
Tel. 021 886 4130/40 • Fax: 021 887 5741
1. Kyk hie hoe lykit ek en djy make it!
2. Kyk die verskillende swembroekies!
3. Squirt! Squirt! Solid bag, Jayboe.
4. Guess what I had for lunch? Gold, baby!
5. Al Qaeda in Paul Roos?
6. Divan ‘monster guns’ Dabner
7. Hopie, kinders.
8. Zahn Truter
9. ???
10. Who’s your daddy?
11. Zahn. Zahn Truter. Truter Zahn. Zahn.
12. Vurige Hanna? Vurige Bunna!
13. Spot the fish!
Grey PE: Our biggest catch yet!
JASON FAIRHURST
All is quiet, even the night itself seems
to be asleep, the silence is almost
deafening, when suddenly in a little
avenue named Dorp Street the silence
comes to an crashing end with the
sounds of, “Jy! Dis my bl@#dy seat!
Waar moet ek nou sit?” Are these the
students fighting on their way back
home from town, in a cramped car?
Am I hearing the sounds of a weird
nightmare someone is having? No
of course not, these are the sounds of
the start of one of the most important
events of the year, Grey PE weekend,
and what a weekend it was! It started
off as most Paul Roos trips do, at four
in the morning, the big rectangular 3dimensional shapes already waiting.
As if these shapes were flames to
moths they starting filling up with the
almost mindless zombie-like creatures.
Pillow in hand, a single glance at the
bus number is enough to then send
them on their way. These zombie-like
creatures I speak of, are of course the
most important part of the weekend, the
small parts in an amazing machine, the
parts that pull together to overcome all
obstacles in their way: the Paul Roos
boys, and even though very little was
said on that morning, they all knew, we
all knew, we were ready.
And ready we were!
After that almost 13-hour bus trip we
arrived in PE. The boys were given to
their host families and the weekend had
begun. It started off with a bang with
our newly introduced fishing team. The
school was full of anticipation, there
isn’t much Paul Roos isn’t good at, but is
Paul Roos good at fishing? The question
was soon answered as we beat the Grey
PE team by 250 points to a measly 150
Photo: Andre Liebenberg
Mine’s bigger than your’s!
points, with our captain Steven Steyn
pulling out a 140 kg ragged-tooth shark
compared to Grey’s best of 18 kg.
One sport down and a few more to go,
Friday night would be the time for the
first-team hockey match, arguably the
most awaited game of the weekend as
our new coach, Mr Rothman, used to
coach at Grey PE and we had also never
beaten Grey’s first team hockey.
The game kicked off with a small
Drumline performance and the crowd
going ballistic as usual. As cheerleader
I was very proud of the boys, all
cramped onto that minute stand but still
singing their lungs out. At half time the
score was 1-0 to Grey and it looked as
if history was about to repeat itself, but
the crowd carried on singing and the
first team continued to play their hearts
out. They decided to themselves and
everyone else there that night – “Nope
not this time, this time we’ll bring home
the gold.” Showing real determination
and character they scored three brilliant
goals in the second half, bringing the
game to an end with a score of 3-1 to
Paul Roos. The crowd went mad and so
did the players, tears were brought to
many eyes and warmth to many hearts,
and for the first time in history we had
a hockey Jolla Bolla behind the turf, an
image that will stay in my heart and
in everyone else’s hearts forever. We
would like to thank Keldohn Swanepoel
for leading his team to victory and Mr
Rothman and Mr Cloete for the many
hours of hard work they put in.
After a good night’s sleep the boys rose
on Saturday morning with one thing
Golf: Boland Champs
Bunna Booyens
On the course, golfers must have the
confidence of a champion. But off the
course, champions must remember they
are not more important than anyone
else.
The Paul Roos first golf team can be
classified as champions, yet they remain
as humble as if they have never won a
single event. Many proud Paul Rosers
may not even know that Paul Roos has
a first team golf – or any golf tea, for
that matter.
After a very successful season last
year, expectations were high for the
forthcoming term. Following an
extremely competitive round of trials,
the team was chosen and ready for a
huge year.
The team consists of Delin Erasmus
– Paul Roos’s own Tiger Woods – who
likes to have a good time with his
friends; Louis Le Grange – who has
been playing for the 1st team since
grade 8 (and is now the spokesperson):
he likes “chicks” and “will never turn
down a good party”; Pierre de Villiers,
Henri van der Walt, who played for
the Affies first team in grade 8 and
9 before finally joining the Maroon
Machine;Riaan Schmulian, who enjoys
fishing, hunting and “kuiering” and
finally Robert Bougas.
The first game this strong team played
was against our biggest opponents, Paarl
Boishaai. It was a close game, but Paul
Roos managed to clinch the victory.
After beating them, the confidence was
high and the team managed to thump
Somerset College with a record score of
9 below par.
It was to no-one’s surprise when
the team was crowned as the Boland
Schools League Champions. The
team now and now stood a chance
to qualify for the annual SA Schools
Championships at the end of June.
The only obstacle was Hermanus High
School. We climbed over this obstacle
by easily defeating them. At the
annual Boland School Championship
hosted by Boishaai at the Paarl Golf
course, Paul Roos showed its fighting
spirit in howling winds. Even though
Boishaai were dominating throughout
the whole day, PRG played with
determination, patience, concentration
and perseverance to finally secure the
victory on the last few holes.
After the intense game of golf, Louis
told me that the loss of focus on four or
five shots a round makes the difference
between great golf and mediocre golf.
The standard of golf is increasing
within the boundaries of Paul Roos.
The support-base for this game of
patience is also on the up and the first
golf team is looking to perform during
the SA Schools Championships.
We would like to wish Delin, Louis
and the rest of the boys good luck.
Keep the Paul Roos name high.
in mind: victory. Each and every boy
from every team put in a 110 % effort
on the rugby fields that day, giving us
the following results: 21 games played,
2 lost and 19 won.
The afternoon soon came and it
was time for the first team game, the
Drumline played and brought the
crowd to a standing ovation and after a
dramatic entrance from the cheerleaders
the game was on its way. The game
we all witnessed that day was a pure
exhibition of experience, talent and
class. It was if the players had left any
distraction possible on the bench and
had only one thing in mind, their job
and how they were going to do it. For
the boys on the stands, for themselves
and for Paul Roos Gymnasium their
jobs had been done in a magnificent
fashion, ending the game with a score
of 20-13 in Paul Roos’s favour.
In the other sports over the weekend
there were some upsets and also some
great victories as follows: the first team
golf lost, the first team squash lost
18-0 and the first team debating won,
bringing home the debating bragging
rights for another year.
Thanks are in order for many people
who made this weekend possible and
so enjoyable, first of all to the Grey
families who were so accommodating
and great opponents, to all the teachers
from Paul Roos for allowing the event
to run so smoothly and to Mr Van Der
Westhuizen for leading our school to
PE. Lastly, but most importantly, thank
you to each and every Paul Roos boy
who gave it all to make our school
proud.
All in all, the weekend was one to
remember, friendships were made,
respect was earned and life lessons
were learned. From the 19 May 2009
to the 22 May 2009 you could say Port
Elizabeth was literally painted maroon,
Paul Roos’s mark was left and that ever
growing attribute of ‘Paul Roos-ness’
was once again on great display.