Old dirty All Star snickers are the norm of the day.

Seeing somebody wearing snickers seemingly dirty and old around the townships of Bloemfontein is not surprising but seeing a University of the Free State student walking around the Bloemfontein Campus with dirty All Star snickers is quite surprising. One would ask themselves whether these people do not realise that wearing something dirty puts their health at risk. Are these people not in a position to know better? Well, wearing one’s old snickers as dirty as they may be with shoes laces not tightened is today’s norm around campus.

Black, brown, white and red are the common colours seemed to be preferred by majority with many referring to them as “Chuck Taylors”, “Converse” or simply All Stars.

Throughout the years All Stars shifted from athletic sportswear to casual wear with students wearing them both in a casual and semi-formal dressing. They developed into the shoe of choice for many subcultures such as the Pantsula and hip hop culture.

Some students regard a pair of All Star snickers as a “must-have” item in one’s closet and how one prefers to wear it depends on their preference and style of dressing. Due to all the positive and negative connotations attached to how one chooses to wear their All Star snickers. It could be regarded as a form of self expression. Whilst for some it’s only a matter of wearing what is considered to be affordable.

Students’ voices:

# fifi Mphirime, I like All Stars because you can basically wear them with anything and they give you a certain look.

# Kgau Dioke, I wear All Stars but preferably not dirty.

# Tshwaro, “chuck Taylor” Is my number one choice; even international celebrities wear them like we do here on campus.

 

Meet me.

Hello, my name is Katleho Prudence Morapela. My friends call me Prudy or Katly. I am 20 years old and in my final year studying Journalism at the University of the Free State. I have recently received an invitation through the University from an organisation called Golden Key International Honour Society, which is an organisation that acknowledges high academic achievements within various universities. Well it does not start here; I was elected to be a school’s prefect and had received numerous academic certificates in high school and obtained 2 distinctions in Grade 12 although I had aimed for 5.

My friends often tease me by calling me a “book-worm” but I guess everybody is entitled to their own opinion right? All I know is that I want to be somebody in life. I am just striving to make my dreams a reality and that dream is simply to be my own HERO. I need to see myself in a position where I am intellectually, emotionally and financially independent. Maybe you do not really understand what I mean, now let me explain it to you by briefly giving you a glimpse on my background: I am the only child at home but closely related or rather have a close relationship with my cousins who most of them left school before completing matric, have babies, not married and seem to indulge in alcohol. So now I realised that this only contributes to a circle of illiteracy and poverty hence I made a different choice, hence I am focused, hardworking, plans ahead and maybe indeed a “book worm”.

Enough about my history and academics, now what are my hobbies?

I like listening to radio. I like talk-shows, current affair programmes and watching documentaries. I usually dedicate Saturdays to me, now this is the time when Katleho does what Katleho wants. I mean shopping, going out with friends or simply being a “couch potato”.

Well that’s me. If there is one thing I regrets is not participating in sports during high school. Oh that could have been a good career and recreation, and if there is one thing I will die doing is living my dream and praising God.