Rhodes University promotes Anti Alcohol-Abuse Week through Variety Show

Dr Vivian de Klerk, the Dean of Students at Rhodes is hosting a variety show on Friday 19 February at 19h00 at the Guy Butler Theatre, 1820 Settlers Monument. 

Viv’s Variety Show is part of the third Anti Alcohol-Abuse Week that aims to promote moderate and responsible drinking habits among students. The show will feature some of Rhodes’ own talents such as the VC’s Vuvuzela Ensemble, UBOM!, Rhodes Chamber Choir, the Phezulu Boys, Dave Knowles, Lucy Kruger and Pat Terry.

The Dean of Students recognises that students are young adults who are able to make choices about their personal lifestyle. “As such we encourage an enlightened, mature and responsible approach to moderate alcohol consumption, based on the undeniable fact that social drinking is normal for large numbers of people. However, in the past few years, growing concern has been expressed about excessive levels of use of alcohol by our students,” said Dr Klerk.

These growing concerns include high-risk drinking among students, the impact of this drinking on academic achievement, personal safety, addiction and student attrition.

The anti alcohol-abuse week is Rhodes’ response to the challenge of creating healthy alternatives. The Dean of Students, the Student Representative Council along with numerous student societies, hosted a range of events throughout the Anti Alcohol-Abuse Week that provided a good laugh, exposure for talented students and even a chance to see the Vice-Chancellor and the Deans perform at Viv’s Variety Show.

The anti alcohol-abuse week is also part of a comprehensive student leadership development programme that kicked-off during the student orientation week, aimed at enabling students to take charge and learn how they can effectively deal with the many challenges young people have to contend with in modern society.

These programmes are further located within a teaching and learning ethos which in going beyond the production and dissemination of knowledge, encourage students to be community orientated critical citizens who must be mindful that, as stated by the Dr Saleem Badat, the Vice-Chancellor, “you are who you learn to become.”