My lecture asked us to write a blog on the topic 'Does preception influence reality'. Like Oprah I had an Ah ha moment and my mind played back to the 15th of February, 2012. I was at a braai (yes local is indeeed lekker) and I met an African American who had such a colourful personality. At first this individual totally fitted in the American stereotype and I would have labelled her in that box for the entire evening if it was not for some of the profound statements she made about our country and especially our university.

She said and I qoute, 'America got nothin' on South Africa, You make America look like a Utopia of colours' She went on telling us about her rascist experience in one of our well known hang out spots for students. She said that when she went to this place with her white friends she did not encounter any problems, but when she went with her black friend she and her friend were asked to present the identity documents. I will not mention the name of this place, but I will give you a clue. It was founded in February 2001 by an English tourist who got waylaid in South Africa. It was previously  used as a hair salon. Do some of you have an idea? yes, no, maybe?

So going back to the topic of preception and reality. I realised that if one had to walk through Stellenbosch university and see the diversity one would have the precetion that the university has come along way and it is that very same preception that has influenced our reality in this campus. However, this reality is artificial. The reality is that our university does not represent the demographics of our country. for one I am the only black girl in my first years group at my res. Most of our residences only have debating in afrikaans, yeah so much for integration. There was also an incident of racial attacks on our campus not so long ago. this took a knock on the universities efforts of promoting our rainbow nation on campus, but the last time I checked the colour black was not even in the rainbow. Most students have a preception that racism does not exist on our campus or they choose to be blind to this, but I say tell that to the trees that still soar from hanging lynches. So to answer the qeustion. Prection does inluence our reality.