By Amber Steyn
On 12 March, Validus Cluster hosted their culture evening as a way to bring students together. It was an evening integrating different forms of art as expression, such as poetry, singing, dancing and rapping.
Keabetsoe Ndhlovu, one of Validus’s cluster convenors stated that culture within a cluster means to come together, integrate various communities and create a sense of belonging. She added, “More than the performances [that took place], I’d say it’s the integration and community aspect of it [that matters].”
The hostess, Senate Tladi, a third-year BCom (Financial Accounting) student, introduced the performers as they showcased their talents to the audience. Sasha-Lee Zimucha, a first-year BAcc student, and Temitayo Madikane, a first-year BSc (Chemistry) student captivated the audience with their rendition of the famous Pitch Perfect “Cup Song”. To shift the art form, Nanette Jordaan, a first-year BEng (Chemical Engineering) student read, one of her poems, “The Voices on Hold”. She stated, “[This was] a poem inspired by annoying customer service calls.” This had an emotional, yet relatable impact on attendees. A dance performance by Karabo Makhake, a second-year BCom (Financial Accounting) student and Lauren, a fourth-year BCom (Sustainable Development) student, left the crowd impressed by their performance.
To conclude the culturally inclusive evening, Que Dunsdon, the second cluster convenor, stated, “It was a very important mandate of [Keabetsoe and I] to get both CSCs and traditional communities together, especially in our cluster. We’re one of the biggest clusters […]; we have eight communities – CSCs and residences – and one of the ways we try [to integrate culture] is through events like these.”
The Voices on Hold
Poem by Nanette Jordaan
Trrr trrr... Trrr trrr...
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You are caller number 114.
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Hold music.
Designed to fill the void
silence leaves.
It's supposed to dull
the ache
of being
alone.
It doesn't.
Hold music
echoes through
a hollow soul.
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You are caller number 92.
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I'm so tired.
And my unwieldy body
suddenly finds the phone so heavy.
And the weight of the world
cracks my mask,
and my mind's darkness seeps out –
it's everything I once loved
that rotted in my head.
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You are caller number 75.
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I'm waiting.
I'm waiting for someone to answer the phone,
waiting to be heard,
waiting to be seen,
waiting to mean something.
I'm always waiting.
But I'm wasting away
while I wait.
I'm losing pieces of myself,
giving them to you.
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You are caller number 59.
Someone will be with you shortly.
So much is expected of Someone.
Someone will care.
Someone will listen.
Someone will notice.
Someone will come.
Someone will answer.
Someone will be with you shortly.
Someone will be with you shortly.
What would it take for Someone to be human?
What if Someone doesn't answer?
What if I lose all of me
before Someone hears my plea?
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You are caller number 37.
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What do you do when no one
cares enough
to listen?
When you scream into a void,
when your lungs are filled with water,
when your vocal cords have been ripped out,
when no one will hear you?
When no one notices your silence?
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You are caller number 16.
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You never answer your phone.
You never listen.
You don't have time for me.
You don't see me.
You don't care.
You won't even notice
when I'm gone.
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Hi, I'm –
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You are caller number 120...
