How many blondes does it take to get 4 distinctions?

When one arrives at Rhodes University the first thing you find out about is the reputation that this institution has adopted in the past years. This ladies and gentlemen is the fact that Rhodents are to alcohol, what a nymphomaniac is to sex and that is putting it as bluntly as possible and it is one thing that they do not apologise for. So how come we still manage to produce such excellent results when it comes to our graduate pass rate? Well Catherine Selkirk is the perfect example of what this blog stands for and also a true definition of a Rhodent.

Blond ambition, young, bubbly energetic, eats a lot, loves cooking and baking, she loves the beach, is a loyal friend and party animal to the max. Catherine Selkirk, a first year B. Comm. Student does all this and manages to excel in her academic life with an older brother in the military and a mom who’s an educator, it’s not too hard to understand where the influence of her study regime comes from. Having a ‘work first and party later’ attitude, Catherine is a cut-above the average Rhodes Student.

A life dream of hers, is to open a beach resort on a secluded island, and with a comedic personality and witty sharpness, she jokes that when a big wave hits the resort, it will take the island down with it. And this great sense of humour is what the friends love about her. She is an academically minded student, excelling in her subjects. She Passionately states that she hates ‘learning’ subjects and prefers more practical subjects, and since this is Rhodes, what better practical subject than having a good night out and about with her friends and by doing this (religiously once a week) she creates a balance in life, which reverberates the English idiom, ‘All work and no play, makes jack (in this case Jill), a dull boy.

Despite her towering height which may intimidate many, her big bright eyes and broad toothful smile puts a person at ease and make one feel welcome when chatting to her. Shorts, sleeveless top and the flip flops covering a slender body frame, is Catherine’s staple dress sense loving food and eating a lot, Cath is blessed to have her mother’s slim body type which to us mere mortals seems to be unfair as she never has to many about losing that some and is not concerned about concerned about weight issues, although she attends gym regularly – ‘I like going to gym, it’s fun’.

She admits then when she got her first economics assignment back and realised she had failed it she was shocked initially but quickly bounced back and told herself that she would work harder towards the exam and bounce back she did, for someone doing economics for the first time she managed to get back on track for her June exams, ‘Don’t let your marks bring you down, just bounce back by working harder in the exams". This kind of academic success is nothing new to Cath who passed Matric with 3 distinctions in Maths, Science and Accounting. Her attitude toward books is ‘to never complain about the work you have, just do it and get it over and done with, so you can have fun afterwards’, her motto seems to be working for her seeing as she obtained four distinctions in June 2008.

Catherine is a rare but very typical rhodent who will walk out of this university having successfully enjoyed the Rhodes party lifestyle as well as a degree from one of the best academic institutions in the continent.