On the slime trail
Reporters have often been called slime-balls but at the start of Scifest 2017 on Wednesday 8 March, Mamosebo Taka took the calling to heart
After trekking up-hill in blazing heat, gallivanting all over the Monument building, walking through darklylit hallways and up narrow staircases, I finally found the Rehearsal Room where the slime-making workshop was being held.
I was turned away at the door because I did not have a ticket or a press pass. Luckily I had been sure to arrive early because wild goose chases are part of a reporter’s duties.
Determined to get my hands on a media pass I set on my way once more. The elevators were creaky and unstable but got me to the top floor none the less.
The doors jolted open giving me a fright before I nervously stepped out into a deserted hallway. Sticking my head through every open door, I finally found the Scifest Africa office.
Nervous about the ticking time, I met with the coordinator and she told me she had no tickets.
Was I doomed to leave without a report? But wait, journalists do not give up.
I pushed for a pass that had someone else’s name on it, telling her I would return it within a couple of minutes. Eventually she handed it over and I was on my way.
Feeling important with the lanyard hanging around my neck, I confidently returned to room of slime with no hassles.
The room choke-full with pupils of different grades from the Harvest Christian School in Port Elizabeth. Steve Knasher, who was orchestrating the event, began by running through basic ground rules such as not running around and not eating or drinking in the area.
Everyone wore Safe Specs and they were ready.
With glue, warm water and Borax they began making their slime concoctions in transparent plastic cups.
To test the slime factor, they had to clamp the cups upside down on stands. Would the slime have the desired rubbery gooey look? Some looked promising but ultimately no one succeeded in getting mixture right. Before long, the floor was full of gooey splats.
Undeterred, everyone’s excitement carried on to the end. It was evident that fun was had by all, including the teachers who accompanied the students.
Sane Nguta, a Grade 12 pupil said, “It was great, very exciting.” Drew Anderson, another Grade 12 agree. “It’s been good, it’s been fun."
Fun is one thing but we were all keen to find out why the experiment had not quite worked. Knasher explained that we were making a chemical reaction – and a chemical reaction takes 24 hours.
Everyone was in such a rush to make their slime no one had waited for the mixture to set.
Another reason for the slime fail was the different amounts of material used in our concoctions. But even failing was fun and lots was learned. The creaky lift was waiting – I had to return my media pass.