Every residence carries rich, unique traditions ranging from mealie escapades to sacred rocks. From an outsider’s perspective, some of these traditions may seem strange and nonsensical, but some of them carry a deeper meaning. Others are simply fun for the sake of being fun. Let us unpack some of the traditions that a few of the residences have.
Mopane
Mopane is well known for their mealies that many students have tried to steal over the years. Interviews with Executive Committee (EC) member Sarel Erasmus, who is in charge of the Mopane mealies, and a first-year known as “Mopane Diva” revealed the history and finer details of their famous mealies. The tradition first began when a Mopane resident planted a few mealies to remind him of his farm at home. Taken with the idea, Mopane started a tradition of growing mealies, and this has continued for years. Erasmus spoke of how the Mopane residents are tasked with the responsibilities of planting, watering, and harvesting the mealies on a yearly basis.
Due to their coveted status, Mopane has a system in place to protect their prized mealies. This is known as “Mealie Watch”. Residents voluntarily guard the mealies every night from 22:00 until 02:00, and then from 02:00 until 06:00. According to Erasmus, seniors as well as first-years (known as Peppies), take part in the Mealie Watch. He added that Mealie Watch fosters a sense of “brotherhood and unity”, as first-years are given an opportunity to bond with each other and other members of the residence. Mopane Diva confirmed this as he described how Mealie Watch “cultivates a sense of unity among the house”.
Mopane Diva also explained what happens when someone who attempts to steal a mealie is caught. Typically, the guards on Mealie Watch will call out for the rest of the residence to come out and chase after the culprit. A former House Committee (HC) member from a different University of Pretoria (UP) residence spoke about how this usually results in the person being tackled.
PDBY managed to get an account from an anonymous second-year student who described her experience of trying to steal a Mopane mealie on two separate occasions. On the first night, she was spotted by the Mealie Watch team who were lying in wait in the dark. While in her car, she was pursued by residents of Mopane that were following her in a bakkie. She barely managed to escape. On the second night, she misjudged the number of students on Mealie Watch, and approached the target under the false belief that she was safe. To her surprise, other members of the Mealie Watch appeared from the shadows and called out to the rest of the residence. The second-year fled the scene, losing her flip flops in the process. According to her, those that were caught faced public punishment where they were hosed down in front of the entire residence while singing the song “Barbie Girl”.
College
One of the oldest and most well-known traditions at College is the act of wearing a toga. According to an anonymous second-year, the tradition originated as a form of resistance against a rule previously established by TuksRes. This rule made it compulsory for all male students who stayed in UP residences to wear suits. The College residents during this period found the rule to be unfair as some people could not afford to buy a suit. In protest, they made togas out of bed sheets, and the tradition still continues today. According to the second-year, first-years (known as Vremies) wear togas to official residence events during Orientation Week. They even wear their togas on their first outing to “The Strip” as first-years. The second-year explained that this tradition is a way for College to send the message that they “are there for the common man”.
One of the lesser-known traditions of College is their “klippe”. These are rocks outside of the residence that were taken from the foundation of the former College building. According to last year’s “Vremie Guide”, the klippe “are a symbol of where College comes from”. The College second-year emphasised the significance of the klippe, explaining how first-years and other non-College residents are not permitted to sit on the rocks. They are a site for important ceremonies within College. An example of one of these ceremonies is the process of becoming a “knighted citizen”. A knighted citizen is someone who has an elevated position within the residence, and this grants them certain privileges. One needs to sleep by the klippe for a number of nights to attain such a status.
When asked about the reception of College traditions by other first-years, the second-year resident spoke of how experiencing traditions together created a “sense of brotherhood” within the residence. However, he also mentioned that some may find the traditions “restricting”, as first-years often feel they do not have a choice in deciding whether or not to participate in the residence’s culture.
House Mags
House Mags, on the other hand, has a more light-hearted tradition. A second-year Mags resident explained the tradition of the “Huppel”. First-years (known as Spikkels) have to “skip across the blaad”, the area in front of the residence, while singing a song. This tradition continues until the first-years become second-years. The song has a cheerful tune and the lyrics are quite simple. They sing a song about how they are skipping because they are “happy”.
When asked about their general feelings towards the Huppel, the second-year resident spoke of having “mixed feelings” about it. They viewed the tradition as something that is both “embarrassing” and “fun”. According to the second-year, it is a common experience to come back into the residence at the same time as other first-years to do the Huppel together. This even occurs when the first-years are not familiar with each other. While they do not necessarily share the same sentiments of fraternity expressed by the male residences, the second-year student described the Huppel as a “cute” shared experience.
Madelief
One of the oldest traditions at Madelief is the “jottir”. This is a treasured hat that has to be worn by Madelief first-year residents (known as Dahlias) on the first Thursday of every month. Much like the Mopane mielies, the jottirs are a coveted item. This means that many Madelief first-years have had their jottirs stolen from them. You will most likely see them holding onto a white Styrofoam hat for dear life while walking to your lectures.
An anonymous Madelief senior explained the rules that govern the culture of stealing the jottirs. Due to a long-standing agreement between Mopane and Madelief, the Mopane first-years are prohibited from stealing a jottir. The same applies to other residences who do not wear hats. This mainly includes female residences who do not typically participate in the stealing of jottirs. For other residences, it is fair game.
The Madelief senior detailed her experience of having her own jottir stolen. She was walking back from an AIM lecture when her very own AIM desk neighbour from Sonop snatched her jottir. She barely had a chance to react before he fled the scene. However, the senior was quick to reassure that the Madelief first-years make sure to get even. It is common for them to steal hats from the male residences in retaliation. She described her own experience of revenge where she outwitted a College first-year by dashing into the bathroom with his cap. She managed to convince him that she had stolen the cap for someone else and quickly made a successful getaway.
The senior spoke of how the jottir tradition creates a sense of sisterhood within Madelief as other first-years have a duty to protect their fellow sister if they witness her jottir being stolen. When asked about how the tradition made her feel, she stated that she found the jottir experience to be “fun”, as it was a welcome break from the stress of academics. However, she also mentioned that others within Madelief find the tradition to be a major inconvenience as it can be quite disruptive when they are trying to walk to a lecture.
House Khutso
At House Khutso, residents must attend a house meeting without wearing shoes. This means that residents pick between the option of wearing socks or being barefoot. A senior from the house explained that this tradition signifies the equality and community that is present in the residence’s values. No resident is treated as more important than another. “We are all the same during that house meeting,” said the Khutso senior.
The traditions within TuksRes vary from residence to residence. However, they all share the same intention of honouring the residence’s history and building a sense of community.
