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Vol 4 No 4 28 May 2014

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Kinga Siejek

Change... It happens no matter if you’re paying attention or not.

For instance:• The changing of the seasons. It’s getting darker ear-

lier, and takes a bit longer for the sun to come out. And of course you probably have noticed that it is colder.

• We went from classes everyday to exams, in what feels like the blink of an eye. This means that se-mester is changing from the first to the second.Closer to the end of the year everyday.

• We changed Vice Chancellors. From the great Dr Theuns Eloff, to the awesome Prof Dan Kgwadi. This could mean a change in how our lovely Cam-pus and University play a role in education and the country.

• A change in politics. We had our elections this year, and while majority of the parties are the same, the people and responsibilities have changed a bit.

I bet you could each come up with a few extras to add to the change list. But the crux of the story is; change is inevitable. It will happen one way or another, and we all just need to (somehow) be ready for it.

Now I don’t want to sound too philosophical, I think that might one of the last things you want to hear right now with the stresses of having to study and pass your ex-ams; but just know... Now is the time to maybe change the way you do things in life as well?

Relook the way you takle notes, the way you summarise your work; heck in the colour ink you use when study-ing! A small change can make a big difference. But if something works for you, and works well, then do go changing it just because I brought it up! hehe

Not everyone needs to change, and not everything needs to change; but it happens around you. I person-ally love change. It gives me a chance to look at what is happening and know that if in my power, I can change the things around me. I mean just the other day I moved thecupboardinmyoffice.Yesonlyafewcentimeters,but I already have a little bit more space to do be cre-ative in. If you have ever met me from a young age, you will also notice that my hair has never stayed the same for a long time. I enjoy changing the lenght or colour, sometimes on a whim, because it is a part of me that I can control.

And I think that is where the whole idea of change comes in. We like change if we can control it, but hate it if it isforsomeoneelse’sbenefit.Youcan’tchangeevery-thing, but small things will one day turn into big things. So with change also comes patience and responsibility. Youcouldeasilychangeeverylittlethingaboutyourselfor the things around you, but you need to be wary of

theconsequencesaswell.Youknowhowsomepeoplesay that if we travelled into the past, and even just ac-cidentaly stepped on an ant, we could be changing the whole future. The same goes with the present. Knowing what may or may not happen when wanting to change something is hard, but needs to happen.

SoIguessyouarereadingthisandtryingtofigureoutwhat am I going on about in terms of change. Well, to put it simply:

Be prepared for anything and everything. Know that somethings in life will change, be it for the better or worse.Youcan’talwayscontrolchange,ithappensandwe need to live with it. What we as people can do is learn to develop other skills to work around the change, or with it. Patience, understanding, responsibilities, con-trol of one’s self, and many other philosophical words...

These same skills can be used in other parts of your life as well. I suppose the big area of your life right now is the thought of the next few weeks. Now our seniors are somewhat used to them, I mean they are seniors after all; but our dear first years are still somewhat new toit. The change from highschool to University is a tough one, but possible.

Change your mind set (to a positive one), change your study habits if need be, heck change the way you dress in the morning! There are so many ways to make your-self better for yourself, that there really is no excuse.

So accept and love change; as it is one of life’s unex-plained adventures. Study hard, and read on!

Change is everywhere...

2 - Student 24/7

VUVU’S SOAPBOX

Have you tasted a toasted tramezzini at Books & Boons yet? Deee-li-cious! Quack!

Since I consider myself a bit of a feathered connoisseur – especially with regards to all things bread and bread related, I can definitely rec-ommend it.... Seriously, is there anything a heap of melted cheese cannot fix? Think about it...withoutcheese:

•Whatwould photographers say tomake us smile?• There would be no moon (andyes, of course the moon’s made of cheese - how else do you explain the holes and the yellow colour?)•Graterswouldbeobsolete!•Howwouldtheaveragemousegettrapped?

I can go on...and on... but you get

the gist, hug? I believe that the value of cheese in our society is desperately un-dervalued (it is a pity the elections are over, since I believe that a Cheese Party

would have been a serious contend-er...).

But wait – what I really want to get at is that during the month of May, life on the Campus much resembled an all-you-can-eat-buffet. Do I see you frown? Quack!

Let’s recap the May “menu” (to fur-ther indulgemy food analogy): firstwe had the autumn graduation cer-emonies, then we went to the polls to make our mark (or in my case, a footprint), we crowned Mr & Miss NWU Vaal, we welcomed a new Vice Chancellor and said our goodbyes to the previous Vice Chancellor and we welcomed a gaggle of prospective first year students during the OpenDay.

Wow! As far as all-you-can-eat-buf-fet goes – this was nothing short of a five course meal! Itwouldbeverydifficult– even for a street-

Vuvu’s Soapbox...

smart goose as myself, to choose my favourite. I have to however admit – I am all goose bumps when it comes to graduation ceremonies. I watch in awe as the graduates walk across the stage, and I reminisce about their firstdayattheCampus...aaawh,theygrow up so fast! Their accomplish-ments also leave me all hyped-up – which is a good thing, especially with the exams around the corner.

I think it is only appropriate that we stampourhoovesandflapourfeath-ers to congratulate the top perform-ers during the graduation ceremony: Florence Manyike (BS W), Melanie Moonsammy (BA Behavioural Sci-ences), Eunice Pretorius (BEd), Lynelle Coxen (BCom Industrial Psychology), Sune Ferreira (BCom Economics and Risk Management), Natasha Robbetze (BCom Finan-cial Accountancy) and Harry van Zyl (BSc Financial Mathematics). Quack! Quack!

All this talk about food – and more so, bread and cheese, has me hungry (again)... and since it is the Univer-sity’s tenth anniversary, I don’t think a cupcake (or three) will do any harm!

Vuvu’s(random) pearl of wisdom: Lifeislikeabuffet!Youchoosewhatgoes on your plate... choose wisely and eat well! Quack!

Student 24/7 - 3

RECTOR’S OFFICE

4 - Student 24/7

Dear Student

When taking stock of the month that has been, I can’thelpbutbeovercomebyaflutterofexcite-ment. The month of May represented a bumper packed four weeks of activities and opportunities ranging from the prestige of a graduation ceremo-ny, the anticipation of the various beauty pageants, the acknowledgement of a new Vice Chancel-lor (and the bidding farewell of the outgoing Vice Chancellor) as well as the delight in welcoming the prospectivefirstyearof2015duringtheOpenDay.

It is said that ability is of little account without op-portunity, and I tend to agree. Think about this for a moment: one can have all the most brilliant and grand plans imaginable but one needs opportunity in order to actually put them into action. When we relate this logic to an event such as the graduation ceremonies, the value of the opportunities offered bytheNorth-WestUniversity–andmorespecificthe Vaal Campus, becomes clear. Did you know thatthefirstgroupofstudentswhoenrolledforthevarious extended degree programmes graduated during the recent autumn graduation ceremonies? If it was not for the opportunity presented to these graduates four years ago, the course of their lives would have been very different.

The same logic applies to the various residence ambassadors who stepped into the fold during the run-up to the Mr & Miss NWU Vaal pageant. By grabbing the opportunity to partake, these students exuded not only fierce loyalty and pride towardstheir different residences but also took up the ba-ton of ambassadorship. I congratulate you on your newly found status as custodians of the Campus’s organised student life.

As a University we are heading towards the mid-year mark of our 10th anniversary celebrationsand therefore I feel it only befitting to sharewithyou some of the achievements of the North-West Universitysince its inception in2004. In termsofthe NWU’s contribution to the South African labour force, this is how the NWU grew and excelled thus far:

2004 2013Nursing 153 286Accountants 292 792Attorneys 74 252Engineers 144 200Further training for teachers 3163 5968

• In termsofEducationSciences, the number ofdistance students doubled over the past decade from2012in2004to5611in2013.

In terms of the number of graduates produced, the Vaal Triangle Campus fared as followed:

2004 2013Faculty of Humanities 597 892Faculty of Economic Sciences and IT188 615

Congratulations to all out graduates, and I am ex-cited to see what miraculous things you will be able to do for our Campus and Country in the future.

CAMPUS NEWS

Student 24/7 - 5

The staff and students of the Vaal Campus wishes Prof Thanyani Mariba, Campus Rector, a speedy recovery afterhissurgeryonSaterday24May2014.ProfessorMariba was hospitalised in Pretoria– and subsequently operated on, after he suffered a fall on Friday. He is cur-rently still in hospital recuperating.

Send your well wishes to prof Mariba via his Facebook page: Thanyani Mariba, or join the many on the Student 24/7 Facebook page to sending message for his speedy recovery.

Get well soon Sir!Annette Willemse

Karaoke, beer pong, battle shots... Sounds like a Frat party from an Americanmovie?Yesandno.

On 15 May 2014, the Acacia resi-dence decided to bring a new spin on events on Campus, by hosting quite an interesting Karoake Night at the Big Lapa.

Students who came to the event were able to get their song on, or to try to beat a friend in American-in-spireddrinkinggames...Definitelyanight to be at, and I hope they organ-ise another one!

(will just need to practice my voice...)

Acacia - Bringing a little USA fun to CampusKinga Siejek

6 - Student 24/7

CAMPUS NEWS

Open Day attracts a record number of visitorsAnnette Willemse

The recent Open Day of the VaalCampus saw a record number of learners – some from as far as Lim-popo, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, in attendance.

It isestimatedthatmorethan3500learners attended the event. The Open Day provides students andtheir parents the golden opportuni-

A look back at the beauty of our Beauty PageantsWhat a month of Pageantry! And yes; I mean that in the literal sense. The month of May saw residence after residence hold their annual Beauty Pageants; from South Africa to Las Vegas; the themes, the clothes, the beautiful students on our Campus showed exactly what they are made of.

To narrow it down to a favourite resi-dence, for me, would be impossible. Eah has its own culture, ideas and creativity. but that doesn’t mean I can’t give you a taste of what each residence (or residences) had to of-fer, and you can make up your own mind from there...

A look at the residencesAcacia and OryxThe theme? The Dark Circus. As always you can rely on Acacia and Oryx to think completely out of thebox with their themes and events. Who doesn’t love the idea of going to a Circus, with popcorn, slushies and cotton candy close by. With both residences HKs dressing as though something out of Tim Burton’s dream, andsomefancyfoorworkbythefinal-ists; the night was one to remember.

Jasmyn, Verries, ThuthukaThe three original on-campus resi-dences came together to show their Royalty roots. The dresses, the de-

cor, the night. While I couldn’t be at it personally, I only heard good things, and loved looking at the images.

FarananiThe residents of Faranani went out of their way to make everyone feel special on their night. Not only was their a beauty pageant for the Mr and Miss Faranani, but the residence also joined forces with the Thick Ma-dames to show that all women are beautiful. The theme was an interest-ing one as well... Playboy Mansion... Who would have thought. But it worked; with all the contestants look-ing either like bunnies or younger (much younger) Hugh Hefners.

Kumba-HorizonOur two new residences came to-gether to show that while they may be new to the residences, they can create a night to remember just as well as the veterans. Loved the theme of Las Vegas, with the feel of a casino with red and black, and cards decoratively used.

EbukhosiniOurnewoff-campus residencealsoshowed that they can step up to the plate with an African Royalty theme for the night. Amazing performances, well planned event by the HKs and some very creative decorations to go well with the theme. It was worth the

confusing drive (I suck at directions and get lost easily).

LongfellowKasi with Style... An interesting theme, and it worked. What I loved was the introduction of a South Afri-can fashion designer in the form of the Formal Section of the event. I will admit,Iamdefinitelygoingtogetthenumber and give them a call!

SantrustI had a lot of fun with the theme, Black andGold. Safe to say I defi-nitely followed that to a tee. The Mbazo Lounge was a great location, though lighting for me was a bit dark, but still enough light to see all the beautiful students. Best of all, once the event was over, you were already at the club for a great afterparty. How awesome?!

Youhadtoseeit,totrulyenjoyandappreciate the hardwork that all the HKs went through to make sure their nights were one of a kind. Each one wasunique,andnightsIwilldefinite-ly remember.

Congrats to all the students and staff involved in all the events. I am already excited to see what next year has to bring! I know one thing; as soon as I know the dates for all the pageants, Iwilldefinitetlybekeepingmycalen-dar open for them.I hope the themes are just as fun, and I think the HKs for2015willhavesomecompetitionto beat this years beauty pageants.

Well done to all the winners, and I hope all of you make your residences proud this year.

ty to learnmore about the fields ofstudy that are available, the admis-sion requirements, finances as wellas student accommodation.

Grade11and12studentsalsohavethe opportunity to speak to both aca-demic and support staff in order to get first-hand information regardingthe academic offerings of the cam-pus as well as the support services that are in place to assist students.

Annette Willemse

Now you may have seen strange im-ages on some of the Facebook pag-es for our Campus... Incomplete, and veygreen images,with the10yearlogo in bits and pieces.

Sound familiar? Well, if it does then you probably know that our Campus is having a competition to celebrate our10yearssincethemergerofthePotch,MafikengandVaalCampusesin2004.

If you haven’t heard about it, then where have you been the past few months? Not to worry, there is still a chance for you to join.

The compeition in a nutshellWe here at the Marketing and Com-munications department on the Vaal Campus are having a compeition for the students to find the 10.Ournaughty little 10 year logo escapedfrom a poster and has been going around on Campus to see what we have to offer, and to have a bit of fun.

We manage to get pictures of it at certain parts, and have given YOUthe chance to figure out where itcould have been. Once a week,each month we then send an image (though not the whole thing just to keep it interesting) of where the logo

Find the 10!Well done to the winners so far!Annette Willemse

Student 24/7 - 7

CAMPUS NEWSwas spotted and a clue to help you along.

Attheendofeachhunt(thereare10in total... See what we did there) you as a student have a chance to send usane-mailwiththefinallocationofwherethepesky10yearlogowas.

The best part of this? The prizes! Each winner will be rewarded with R500 worth of vouchers, and theirpicture up on Facebook, the maga-zine, and anywhere we can think of to make you famous...

Wantproof?Well, hereare the firsttwo winners of the compeition. Do you know what that means? OnlyEIGHT more chances to win! Sokeep a lookout on the NWU Vaal Facebook page for more info and GoodLuck!

ABIGcongrats to the first twowin-ners! hope you enjoy your prizes!

8 - Student 24/7

CAMPUS NEWS

Horizon gives no competitionto Khumba on their first annual pageantWilliamGeorge&PortiaRampa

ThefirsteverMrandMissKhumba-Horizontookplaceon25April,heldby the Big Lapa.

The venue was beautifully decorated with striking Red and white Las Ve-gas theme. The contestants rocked the red cuppert with stylish fashion and fascinating dance moves. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” But not when Student 24/7 is at “Ve-gas” with you.

The judges of the pageant were Mr NWUVaal2013:MacDonaldLegare,Miss NWU Vaal 2013: Lerato Mot-soane and the River FM’s Execu-tive producer: Kelebogile Tsekedi. The MC’s of the night were Vuyela Qobo and TsholofeloMoile. On thedecks was DJ Genvee Ultra-Tone,they were responsible for the music from the beginning of the event, up until the end of the after party, which endedat02:00.Youalsocan’tforgetthe talented students who perfomed during the event.

The event was scheduled to begin at 18:00, but started an hour later,due to technical issues, said Vuy-elwa Qobo, one of the MCs. The pageant entry was opened for both Horizon and Khumba residents. A total of 14 participants partook inthe Mr and Miss Horizon-Khumba 2014/15.Alltheparticipantsresideatthe Khumba residence. Horizon has over 80 residents but none enteredthe pageant. However, the Horizon residents attended the event; also other students came in to support the pageant, as well as some of the members of the Student Representa-tive Council (SRC).

GuguMayezi,theConstitutionalandTransformationofficeroftheHorizonresidence commented: “Horizon resi-dents could not participate because they have a lot on their schedules.

The other reason is that during the pageant practices, the residents had to attend classes, and the practices are time consuming.” The turnout wasreallygreat,sincethisisourfirstevent. We never thought we would get that much support, she added.Horizon resident Tumisang Kalay-amodimo, a PGCE student com-mented on what he believed was the possible reasons for no participation by the Horizon residents, “The timing was not good, because we were in the middle of the semester week.” “I

do not think postgraduate students were available for auditions and all the processes the contestants have to go through.”

The pageant ended off with a stu-pendous after-party in cold midnight weather that could not stop people having fun.

The first ever Mr Khumba-Horizon2014/15 went to a final year BMIQuantitative Risk Management stu-dent Bhekhumuzi Jothan. Tsakane Sibisi,afirstyearstudyingBAinLawwas crowned Miss Khumba-Horizon 2014/15.

Congratulations to the rest of the winners.

Student 24/7 - 9

CAMPUS NEWS

A night of plenty: Mr and Miss Thuthuka, Jasmyn and VerriesHaseena Saley

It was a night of “Royalty” as a combined pageant was held by the residences of Thuthuka, Jasmyn and Ver-rieson24April2014.Anightofglitzandglamourwhichresulted in the crowning of Mr and Miss Thuthuka, Miss Jasmyn and Mr Verries and of course the “ultimate win-ners”. The setting was majestic, the models looked the part, the audience were there in numbers and as for the judges; their fashion glasses were on-point and ready for judging.

The pageant consisted of 26 good looking and confi-dentmodels (13malesand13 females), three judgesand more than a handfull of audience members. The setup was spectacular and the Big Lapa was turned into a palace with purple and white draping. The residences went all out by deviating from the conventional judges andgettingwell, ratherspecial judges.Thefirst judgeintroduced herself as Christell Pearson, owner of Fig-ures Models and Talent and a talent scout of the IMTA (USA-NEWYORK).Sheisalsoaninternationalmodel.The second judge was Jeremy Mooi from NWU Vaal Marketing and Communications Department and an ex-perienced judge. Lastly Nthabiseng Semudi, the CSRC of Arts and Culture and ISRC member and a Latin and ballroom danc- er. The MCs of the night w e r e Eugene M a -

sango and Kathelo also known as (Katz) whose person-alities complimented the event. They were bubbly and very interactive.

The models made their way out as a projector displayed a photograph of them and a voice-over of each of them introducing themselves played in the background. Thereafter a ‘sexy’ dance performance by the models followed.Themodel’soutfitsvaried fromablack jeanand white t-shirt (in the beginning), to cultural wear, to “dress like someone famous” and lastly evening wear. Between each of the outfit changes therewas a per-formance. There were dance and singing performances which kept the audience hyped up and engaged in the pageant. There was something for everyone, as the pageant continued, the MCs told the audience members to look underneath their chairs and if it was marked to come to the stage with those chairs. The lucky three peoplewonwaterbottlesand tickets to theofficialMrand Miss NWU Vaal pageant.

Therewerefivefinalists fromeach residentandeachof thesefinalistswereaskedquestions regardingcur-rent affairs in South Africa. From the ability to answer the question and the answer itself the judges made their decision.AvoteofthankswasgivenbytheProjectOffi-cers of each of the residences and they mentioned their satisfaction of the turnout of the pageant. The pageant ended with the following winners: Jasmyn Winner: Dulsa Chemane1stPrincess-RuthShata2nd Princess- Sharon Mokgawa

VerriesWinner: Nhlanhla Zim1stPrince-BruceMthinyane2nd Prince-Peter Kungeke

ThuthukaGirls:Winner: Dikeledi Mahlasi1stPrincess-PrevashnaFlemmer2nd Princess- Reabetswe MontshoGuys:

Winner: Steven Motloung1stPrince-YangaMakanda

2nd Prince- Netswell Mahuni

OVERALL WINNERS: Steven Motloung (Thuthuka) and Dulsa Chemane (Jasmyn).

Each of the above models are finalists forMiss and Mr NWU Vaal.

The pageant ended but the night was still young. An after party followed with a set by the

“twins on deck” as well as a few campus dj’s. This was the opportunity for students to let go and

let loose and simply enjoy themselves.

CAMPUS NEWS

10 - Student 24/7

Faranani Presents:Mr and Miss Faranani, and Thick Madames in the Playboy Mansion

Mildred Monageng

Lights,Camera,Action!!Yes, itwasall Top Billing outside the Faranani Hall, the setting for Mr & Miss Fara-nani as well as the Thick Madames was done to perfection. Right under thestarsonaSaturdayeveningof26April, with bright lights shining over the setting and great music playing asthecrowdslowlyfilledthevenueto witness the crowning.

Quite a chilly weather, but the crowds still came out in numbers looking all glamorous and hyped up. This was going to be a night of fun and glam-our for sure.

Just before the contestants took to the runway, an exquisite perfor-mance by Zahara graced the stage. Shortly after her followed Skhalo Skhalo alongside T-jazz with their crowd moving hit track “jaiva ka dit-setsekwane” meaning “dance on your tippy toes”. Not yet what we were there for but they kick-started the night for the crowd and got them prepared for what was still to come, because yeah you got that right it was bigger and better.

As soon as the moment everyone had been waiting for came, the place was filled with screams of excite-ment and gasps of disbelieve. Truth be told had you been there too, you would also not believe that the per-son walking down the runway is one thatyouknow,youwouldfindithardto recognize them, they were daz-zling and just on that high note. The contestants walked the runway as though their lives depended on it, yet they still kept that gorgeous smile thatsays:“I’mconfidentandohyesbaby I’m having fun”.

“Beauty lies in the eye of the be-holder”, but in this case beauty was not only in the eye but it rather came alive physically and personality wise

aswell.Asdifficultitwasfortheau-dience to speculate whom would be crowned as Mr, Miss and Thick Ma-dame of Faranani, the decision was more like ten times as hard for the judges. Not only did they have to judge upon the physique but they also had to consider other aspects as well. A comment from the judges in the middle of the show suggested that it was very hard to decide who was to be crowned at that time as all the contestants were doing extreme-ly well, with scores were running quite tight.

The competition escalated as the night proceeded, as the contestants competed from their walks, person-alities, talents and etc. Talents raging from netball, basketball, modelling, dancing and singing were portrayed by the contestants. An exquisite, sen-sual and most thrilling performance given by the contestants in their lin-gerie and bunny tales and ears was the definite show stopper. I meanwho wouldn’t enjoy a sensual dance with sexy ladies in their hot pinks and extremely gorgeous guys topless with only a bowtie accessorising their upper bodies? Now with that in mind

add an awesome, lively crowd and good music then you get a good time all exclusive to Faranani residence.

After all it was a competition, and the crowd being there was to witness the crowning of Mr & Miss as well as the Thick Madame of the Faranani resi-dence. The winners were as follows; drum roll …….. “droooooommmmm.brooooombroooooo”, wait for it, wait for it!

Gomolemo Legoabe a Bcom CAstudent was crowned Mr Faranani alongside the flawless Marilyn Ndl-ovu who studies BCom Finance who is Miss Faranani 2014. The FirstPrince position was awarded to Tu-melo Kekana, and Second Prince Mosa Mhaka, First Princess was Khomotso Boshego and the Seond Princess Maneo Chaka.

Kelebogile Tlhatlosi was crowned the Thick Madame of Faranani. Con-gradulations to all these winners as they were automatically entered for the Mr & Miss NWU Vaal. All the best to them all for their coming compe-tition . Let’s all go out in numbers again and support them.

CAMPUS NEWS

Eleven residences, seven events, three weeks, two crowns, one Big night.

The road to Mr and Miss NWU Vaal 2014/2015wasoneofhardworkandperserverance from the House Com-mittees (HKs) and the contestants involved.On9May2014,allof thathardwork was on show as the win-ners of each residence competed for the coveted spots.

The theme correlated well with the TenYearCelebrationsofthemergerof the North-West University. From the inspirational guests, to the im-portant judges and THE question of the Q&A section; all was going well to make the night one to remember.

Whilenotallfinalistsfromeachresi-dencemadeittothefinals,theonesthat were there made their fellow resident families proud. From differ-ent themes in the opening category

rangingfromTribal toGangsterandYouth; to showing who their favou-rite stars are (such as Nicki Minaj and James Bond all in one night), to the beautiful dresses the ladies were wearing and how handsome the gen-tlemen looked in the formal section. The choice of the winners would not be an easy one for the judges.

Of course, while looks and attire is

Well Done!Kinga Siejek

a part of the pageant; the Q&A sec-tion matters just as much. In previous years the questions would vary, but this year each contestant was given the same question one at a time. The question:Whatdoesthe10YearCel-ebration mean to them.

After much deliberation, the choices were made.

On26May2014,TheEDCon the Vaal Campus had their officila opening of anArtExhibitionatBuilding3to showcase what our staff and students have to offer, other than their academic minds.

one such student, is a cur-rentOryxresident,TumeloNtja. His art of iconic peo-ple in history and society were a wonder to hold, and make us as a Campus proud to say he is one of ours.

We hope to see more of his work in the future, and wish him well in his studies and his art. If you are interested to see more of Tumelo’s work, you can follow him on Twitter: @TheArtistSA.

Student shows of his creative sideKinga Siejek

Anjonet Jordaan

12 - Student 24/7

OntheVaalCampuseducationisnotlimitedtoaclassroom. The third year students in the B.Ed. programme decided that their Life Sciences module need not be re-stricted to textbook theory.

While learning about the environment and how to teach high school pupils about environmental matters, Mr Francois Minnie’s students decided to make a contribu-tion to the preservation of our environment right here on campus.Inamatterofanhourtheyquicklyfilledseveralbags with litter they picked up around a number of build-ings on campus.But their efforts didn’t end there. They also compiled a list of suggestions which they handed over to campus’ Technical Services about how the cam-pus grounds can be kept neater in future.

Among their suggestions were to paint the dust bins thesamecolourgreenourcampusisidentifiedwithtomake them more visible; to put up more notices on cam-pus that discourages people from littering and making use of the dust bins; and making sand bins available at the various buildings across campus to accommodate smokers.

Looking after the environment starts at home and we

Educating for a greener futureCAMPUS NEWS

are sure that these prospective teachers will teach the next generation to treat their environment with respect by keeping in clean.

Annette Willemse

Morethan1300diplomasanddegreeswereconferredduring the autumn graduation ceremonies of the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal). During the graduation ceremonies, which took place at the Quest Conference Estate in Vanderbijlpark, atotalof14doctoraldegreeswerealsoconferred.

In his address the Campus Rector, Prof Thanyani Mariba gaveabriefoverviewofthecurrentprofileoftheUniver-sity and elaborated on the achievements of the Campus over the past decade. He furthermore compared each graduation ceremony to a “portrait of promise” and ex-plained that on graduation day the potential that higher education offers gets set into motion. “It is important for you to fully grasp the magnitude of your achieve-ment since it is only paralleled by the responsibility you know have to pro-actively contribute towards not only the vesting of a vibrant and robust knowledge economy but also to uphold our country’s lasting democracy,” said Prof Mariba.

Graduates take to the stageIn celebration of the University’s tenth anniversary, the Campus Rector related some of the highlights of the past decade: In terms of student numbers, the NWU Vaalgrewfromamodestsatellitecampusin1977withonly55studentstoanacademicpowerhousewithmorethan6700studentsin2014.Theamountofresidencebeds increasedfrom353 in2004formorethan1900and the number of lecture room seats have more than doubledto4545. Intermsofacademicofferings,theVaal Triangle Campus boasts with two dynamic faculties and eight academic schools. In terms of research, the Campusboastswithanincreaseofmorethan284%intermsofaccreditedarticlessince2004.

Prof Mariba encouraged the graduates to cherish their relationship with the campus and to go forth into the world of work and be ambassadors of change and pros-perity.

*During the graduation a total of 166 certificates anddiplomas,650degrees,235honoursdegrees,33mas-ters’degreesand14doctorateswereawarded.

CAMPUS NEWS

Student 24/7 - 13

Autumn graduation ceremonies: Campus awards best academic performersAnnette WillemseDuring the recent autumn graduation ceremonies of the VaalCampus,morethan1300diplomasanddegreeswere conferred. Several graduates were also applauded for their academic prowess and were awarded as top academic achievers.

Florence Manyike – Social WorkThe best academic performer in Social Work (BS W) is FlorenceManyike.In2010sheregisteredforaBachelorof Social Work degree at and she subsequently com-pletedthedegreewithanaverageof73.8%throughouther studies.Florencepassed fifteenof theprescribed43moduleswith distinction. In her third year she was chosen to bepartoftheGoldenKeyInternationalsociety.Sheiscurrently working as a registered social worker at the Gauteng Department of Social Development. She isplanning to enrol for her honours degree in Public Man-agementandGovernance.

Melanie Moonsammy – Behavioural SciencesThe best academic performer in Behavioural Sciences (BA) isMelanieMoonsammy. In2011sheenrolled fora BA in Behavioural Sciences within the Faculty of Hu-manities, with Psychology and Sociology as core mod-ules.In2013shewasawardedwithacertificateforthebest second year BA/ BS W (social work) student of 2012.Inthatyearshemaintainedanaverageof85%.Melaniecompletedherdegree,andhaspassed26ofthe 27 prescribed modules with distinction. Throughout herstudiesshemaintainedanaverageof86%.Duringher third year of study she was chosen to be part of the GoldenKeyInternationalsociety.Melanie is currently registered for an Honours BA in Psychology. Her future aspirations include a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

Eunice Pretorius – Educational SciencesThe best academic performer in Educational Sciences (BEd) is Eunice Pretorius. After a stint as an entrepre-neur, she registered to study in 2010.She completedher degree – a BEd in Senior and Further Education (with Life Sciences and Psychical Sciences as main subjects) in the minimum prescribed four years. During thistimeshemaintainedanaverageof91.5%andshepassed all her modules with distinction.Eunice is currently a teacher at Kollegepark Primary School and is registered for her Honours degree in BEd Curriculum Studies.

Lynelle Coxen – Industrial Psychology and Labour Relations ManagementThe best academic performer in Industrial Psychology and Labour Relations Management (BCom) is Lynelle Coxen.In2010sheenrolledforaBComdegreeinIn-dustrial Psychology and Labour Relations Management

within the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Informa-tion Technology. She enrolled as a part time student and completed her degree while full-time. Lynelle complet-edthedegreeinfouryears.Additionally,shepast31of32prescribedmoduleswithdistinction.Throughoutherstudies,shemaintainedanaverageof90.1%.ShewasalsochosentobepartoftheGoldenKeyInternationalSociety.Lynelle is currently registered for an Honours BCom in Industrial Psychology. She plans to also do a Master of Arts degree in Industrial Psychology and eventually be registered as an Industrial Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Sune Ferreira – Economics and Risk ManagementThe best academic performer in Economics and Risk Management (BCom) is Sune Ferreira. In 2011 sheregistered for a BCom in Economics and Risk Manage-ment. During 2012, Sune received the Top AchieverAward for the best performance in the second year BComprogrammewithanaverageof84%.DuringherstudyshewasalsochosentobeapartoftheGoldenKey International Society. In her third year of study she received the Top Achiever Award, year again, when she maintainedanaverageof91%.Shecompletedthede-greeandpassed26ofthe32moduleswithdistinction.Shemaintainedanaverageof83.3%duringherperiodof study.Sune is currently registered for an Honours BCom in RiskManagement.Oncompletionshe intends tocon-tinue with further studies.

Natasha Robbetze – Financial AccountancyThe best academic performer in Financial Accountancy (BCom)isNatashaRobbetze.In2011sheregisteredfora BCom in Financial Accounting. She received the Top Achiever Award for the best performance in the BCom Accounting programme in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Shecompletedthedegreeandpassed31ofthe32moduleswithdistinction.Shemaintainedanaverageof87%dur-ing the three years of study.She is currently registered for an Honours degree in Fi-nancial

AccountingHarry van Zyl – Financial MathematicsThe best academic performer in Financial Mathemat-ics(BSc) isHarryvanZyl. In2011heregisteredforaBSc degree in Financial Mathematics. He completed the degree and passed all his modules with distinctions (32 distinctions). He maintained an average of 90%.HewasawardedtheTopAchieverAwardin2011,2012and2013.HealsoreceivedanawardfromthePotchef-stroom Campus as the Best Student in the BSc pro-gramme. He is currently registered at the Potchefstroom Campus for an Honours degree in BSc Quantitative Risk Man-agement.

The right to learn campaignRabia Moosa

“Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself”- John Dewey

In South Africa, the right to education is guaranteed by section 29 of the Bill of Rights. Every individual deserves a chance at an education in order to have a chance at life. Many indi-viduals aren’t lucky enough to study further than matric because they all can’t afford to.

After speaking to NWU Branch chair-person of the RTLC (Right to Learn Campaign), Mongesi Seyale, he shed some light on theRTLC. Estab-lished in 2013, The Right to LearnCampaign, which is a nationwide initiative which intends to help and assist students with financial diffi-culties. They aim at providing stu-dents with funds to pay off any amount being owed by them to the uni-v e r s i t y as well as help-ing others to pay their registration fees.

The income that they generate comes from dif-ferent fundraisers held by SASCOand SRC members of the university. These fund raisers are held on campus, the re fo re this initiative is for students, by stu-dents. With access to important data such as the number of students who have applied to study on the cam-pus, the number of successful ap-plicants, the number of unsuccessful applicants, the number of successful applicants that actually register, the number of successful applicants that fail to register, the number of regis-tered students that graduate and the number that drops out as well as the underlying reasons for these phe-

Student 24/7 - 15

SA NEWS

nomena they will be able to illustrate and create new ways in which they can offer sustainable solutions.

As mentioned above, the members involved in the RTLC will run a num-ber of event that will raise funds, they include:•TheRTLCCar-washandShisan-yama•TheRTLCBusinessDinner

Another fundraiser for the 2014RTLC will be the Register a Friend project. In which students will be askedtopledgetheamountofR100towards the registration of a fellow student.

These are but a few of the contribu-tions made by RTLC to help improve the quality of studying for all students needing assistance.

SA NEWS

The election that was:

A look back

Zanele Mtetwa

This year marked twenty years of democracy in South

Africa,the

fifthdemo

craticelec

tionsalso

tookplac

ethis

year,ont

he8thof

May.Whilem

ostpeople

voted,on

ly

a hand full were happy about the parties they had voted

for and the political situation in our country.

This year’s elections were dominated by three political

parties, being the African National Congress (ANC), the

Democratic Alliance (DA), and the Economic Freedom

Fighter (EFF). The pressure was on as the ANC seemed

to have majority support; but the leading party was los-

ing its support and fast. Mainly due to corruption rumours

that have haunted the party for years, the expensive Nk-

andla renovation which taxpayers funded and the e-toll

system that the public were clearly against.

The pressure of the elections affected other political

parties as well like the DA and EFF, who were under

pressure to capitalise on the ANC sudden unpopularity.

While following the elections, watching and listening to

all the election campaigns, I was disappointed with what

I saw and heard.

The ANC used past leaders, like the late Nelson Mande-

la to manipulate the sensitive citizens of the country to

vote for them, they had posters up and printed t-shirts,

with the words “do it for Mandela” for example, written on

them. The DA and EFF went in a different direction and

decided to attack the ANC in their election campaigns.

The two parties released election adverts, in which they

focusedo

ntheANC

,andhow

flawedo

urcurrent

gov-

ernment is. They also mentioned how much of a good

job they could do, if given a chance. These ads were

banned by the SABC, the reasons given for pulling the

adverts were: that the adverts incites violence, they in-

cited violence against the police, were contrary to the

Advertising Standards Authority’s code of conduct, and

constituted a personal attack on President Jacob Zuma.

Whiletheth

reedomin

ateparties

werefight

ingitoff,a

nd

trying to get votes, one couldn’t help but notice that the

other smaller parties, like Agang SA, Inkatha Freedom

Party(IFP

)andCon

gressofth

epeople

(COPE),w

ere

somewhat

absentfro

mtheshow

.Onehad

toaskwh

ere

they could be, and what they had to offer to the country.

The elections focus was less on what the parties would

doforthis

countryan

dtheirpeo

ple,andm

oreonfigh

ting

each other. South Africans all over feel cheated and an-

gry, there are people who say there is no proper party to

vote for, which can explain the large number of citizens

who refused to register to vote and who did not vote.

There were even campaigns like the ‘Vote No’ cam-

paign, which encouraged people to spoil their ballots or

to vote for smaller political parties, so that the ANC won’t

get majority vote.

16 - Student 24/7

decided to attack the ANC in their election campaigns.

The two parties released election adverts, in which they

focusedo

ntheANC

,andhow

flawedo

urcurrent

gov-

ernment is. They also mentioned how much of a good

job they could do, if given a chance. These ads were

banned by the SABC, the reasons given for pulling the

adverts were: that the adverts incites violence, they in-

cited violence against the police, were contrary to the

Advertising Standards Authority’s code of conduct, and

constituted a personal attack on President Jacob Zuma.

Whiletheth

reedomin

ateparties

werefight

ingitoff,a

nd

trying to get votes, one couldn’t help but notice that the

other smaller parties, like Agang SA, Inkatha Freedom

Party(IFP

)andCon

gressofth

epeople

(COPE),w

ere

somewhat

absentfro

mtheshow

.Onehad

toaskwh

ere

they could be, and what they had to offer to the country.

The elections focus was less on what the parties would

doforthis

countryan

dtheirpeo

ple,andm

oreonfigh

ting

each other. South Africans all over feel cheated and an-

gry, there are people who say there is no proper party to

vote for, which can explain the large number of citizens

who refused to register to vote and who did not vote.

There were even campaigns like the ‘Vote No’ cam-

paign, which encouraged people to spoil their ballots or

to vote for smaller political parties, so that the ANC won’t

get majority vote.

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAYMalenyalo Molemane

On 3May 2014, the country and theworldwere cel-ebrating “World Press Freedom Day”. According to www.timeanddate.com, World Press Freedom Day is annuallyobservedonMay3toinformtheinternationalcommunity that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights. This day re-minds people that back in the days, many journalists were jailed and killed to bring daily news to the public.

Getting an understanding of what this day means tofuture journalists or students who are studying media. Dumisa Mbonjwa, 2nd year student in BA Communica-tion, says that this day means freedom for the press to be able to report on all matters that are in public interest, including those that the government would rather keep asecret.PhilaMavuso,3rdyearinBACommunicationsaid “it means to honour journalists who struggled under inadequate or oppressive conditions to report so as to tell the truth.

Student 24/7 - 17

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Looking at the condition of the media in our country, how it has developed to become fast and effective in deliv-ering news and informing the people of South Africa it is easy to say that the SA media should celebrate their freedom, with issues like the imple-mentation of the secrecy bill threating to take away the freedom of expres-sion or press. Which is of importance and so is the right to receive informa-tion; the South African media should take pride in joining other nations to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day

UNSecretary-GeneralBanKi-moonAndUNESCODirector-GeneralIrinaBokova said "Journalism provides a platform for informed discussion

What does it means to us? A look from two journalists...

ThisdaywasproclaimedbytheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyin1993DecemberasWorldPressFreedomDay. Despite the effort made to protect media, journalists are still killed or jailed just because the want to expose the truth. More work is still needed to be done to protect or ensure that our journalists are protected. Standing to-gether as a nation to secure the rights and safety of our journalists who are killed or harassed for bringing truth-ful information on what is happening around the globe and the country.

This day is celebrated to remind and inform everyone that journalists have rights to freedom of opinion and ex-pression. Journalists can give or inform the public about what is happening in the world or country and they must give true and valid information. They must not use the opportunity to take advantage and give false information to the public.

Keleabetswe Narenti across a wide range of develop-ment issues – from environmental challenges and scientific progressto gender equality, youth engage-mentandpeacebuilding.Onlywhenjournalists are at liberty to monitor, investigate and criticize policies and actions can good governance exist."World Press Freedom Day was pro-claimedby theUNGeneralAssem-blyinDecember1993,followingtherecommendationofUNESCO'sGen-eralConference.Sincethen,3May,the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek was celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

It is an opportunity to:• Celebrate the fundamental princi-ples of press freedom; •Assessthestateofpressfreedomthroughout the world;

•Defend themedia fromattacksontheir independence; •Paytributetojournalistswhohavelost their lives in the line of duty.

The focus this year was on three inter-related themes: the media’s im-portance in development; the safety of journalists and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of jour-nalism.

Initiatives like the World Press Free-dom day encourage existing and up and coming journalists to take pride in informing their nations about events like the recent elections and the on-going murder trial of OscarPistorious, be it through print, broad-casting or social media, to inform the nations without being afraid.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

USA academics spark a discussion

Keleabetswe Narenti

The school of Basic Sciences hosted a visit from academics from the Unit-ed States of America (USA), who are currently busy with their studies in politicallyrelatedfields,withtheaimto create awareness around political systems around the world and see how they affect people.The colloqui-um was based on the recent South African democratic elections and the upcoming USA mid-term elections and the American election process.

The colloquium consisted of presen-tations, from students of the Florida A&M University and lecturers from the school of Basic Sciences which all highlighted the importance of elections and freedom of choice in the United States of America and in South Africa.

The presentations from the students of Florida A&M University focused on issues such as:

The American electoral systemThe American electoral system is very different from the South African as it has in the history of the US only beentwomajoritypartiesfightingforthe running of the country which were the Democrats and the Republicans

and now there are the Independent democrats. The students took turns to explain the complicated electoral system and the anticipation of the 2014mid-termUSA election, whichaccording Modjinah Lavache, stu-dent Florida A&M University studying Public Relations with International Relations subjects, the US mid-term elections are more like the SA local/provincial elections.

As everyone is concerned about the outcomes of the presidential elec-tions for South Africans the candi-date has to win majority of the vote to win but this is not the case in US, the candidate has to win vote in the states where the majority of people live and most of all where his\her supporters are. “Even the campaign-ing is different, as a candidate you invest time and money campaigning

where your supporters are, where you not needed you don’t go.” Said Prof Christopher Daniels, Research Development Director.

Cash in politicsMaurice Jackson, Accounting stu-dent at Florida A&M University with global security subjects said that pol-itics in the US have to do with raising funds more than anything, and how the candidate will use that one once they are elected as president, Mau-rice highlighted an important concern amongst Americans when it comes to making and spending money in the US, which was the debt care that Americans are living in which is mostly caused by student loans and the lack of affordable health. He said that the average American spend 110% of what they earn, the otherconcern was.

Through the discussion amongst the political science students and the USA students about elections in their countries, Prof Christopher and Pro Rabali concluded that we can all learn other countries’ mistakes.

18 - Student 24/7

Join the:Young Alumni Movement

TODAY!Annette Willemse

Did you recently graduate? If so, welcome in the midst oftheVaalTriangleCampus’sYoungAlumnifraternity!Are you on the verge of completing your studies? Then takenote–theYoungAlumnifraternityisthefirstcallofport after graduating.

As an alumna (female) or alumnus (male) of the Uni-versity you now belong to a dynamic and ever grow-ing network of graduates – be it as business leaders, opinion formers, entrepreneurs, artists, educators or re-searchers. Did you know that the word ‘alumni’ – which is derived from the Latin term ‘alere’, means to nourish? Think about it. Just as the leafy green trees on the banks of the majestic Vaal River is anchored and nourished by their roots digging deep in the fertile soil – so your quest for knowledge and accomplishment was nurtured by the enabling environment of the Vaal Triangle Campus.

At the NWU Vaal we consider both graduates (who re-ceive degrees) and diplomats (who received diplomas) to be part of our extended and celebrated alumni family. Thecore functionof theAlumniOffice is toenableallformer graduates to keep in touch with the Campus and with each other whilst providing lifelong opportuni-ties for alumni to support their alma mater in whichever waytheydeemfit.AsambassadorsofourCampus,ouralumni members play a vital role in the upkeep of our good reputation – both locally and internationally whilst bearingtestamentthataNorth-WestUniversityqualifi-cation remains a sought after commodity.

Young AlumniWhat does the alumni fraternity mean for you, as a cur-rent student? The alumni fraternity contributes towards the NWU Vaal in the following ways:•Making financial contributions to theCampus in theform of voluntary donations.

•SupportingtheAlumniOfficebypurchasingmemora-bilia items.• Playing an advocacy role on behalf of the Campuswithin their respective communities.•Mobilisingwhateverresourcesattheirdisposalforthegood of the Campus (i.e. encouraging their employers to contribute to worthy causes on Campus or to collabo-rate on various projects and special events).•Facilitatingmentorshipsand internships for students– and thus contributing towards the readiness of gradu-ates for the world of work.• Providing employment and other opportunities forgraduates.•Assistingwiththerecruitmentofnewstudents.What role can I play as a current student?You can registerwith theAlumniOffice upon gradua-tion so that we can keep you informed of developments and exciting endeavors pertaining to the Campus. In the meanwhile, you should keep an eye out for alumni re-lated communication via the student magazine, Student 24/7 orRiver FM.You should also like our Facebookpage to keep abreast with the latest events and happen-ings - NWU-Vaal-Alumni

By making a conscious decision to be informed, the transition from life as a student to being a successful member of the working environment is made easy. In exchange we urge you to remember the role played by the different generations of graduates in shaping the fu-tureoftheUniversityandmorespecifictheVaalTriangleCampus.

ALUMNI NEWS

Student 24/7 - 19

INSPIRATION

20 - Student 24/7

To the Young GirlsHaseena Saley

To the young girlsOhyounggirl,whereisyourpride?Can you not see that his just trying to get in between your thighs?Use you and then go,But you keep going back to him begging for mo’“Take me I’m all yours”, that’s what you sayBut you not alone, there’s more like you running his way

I ask you young girl, where is your pride?Can you not see that his taking you for a ride?

“I love you baby, can you not see”He lies blatantlyHe’ll say anything to get in your jeansBut he does not mean it, not one darn thing

Listen here young girl, he’s been around the blockKnows exactly what to say to get your undies offHe’ll make you feel like the only oneThat’s his way of “having fun”Use you till he’s had enoughThen ups and leaves, without saying much

At the end of the dayYouleftwiththepainHis long gone and you all aloneLeft to pick up the pieces while he moves on

When you think of your birthday, you can’t help but be excited. Especially as a child. the idea that one day out of the whole year, you have one day dedicated to the celebration of you. Presents, cake, a party, most par-ents and people go out of their way to have a memorable and fun birthday. But how about making your special day about someone else?

That is exactly what an amazing staff member on Campus decided to do. Mari-Leigh Pienaar, a lecturer in the School of Languages dedicated the whole of her May birthday month to supporting a local non-profit initia-tive, iCare, which is run by Charlene Hefer, a student of Pienaar’s.

The charity raises funds to organ-ise events for children and adults in need. Donations asked for include children’s clothes, toys, toiletries, food,blankets,andmuchmore.Onsuch event that Pienaar is asking help for is an Easter themed project for a children’s home in Meyerton on 7 June.

How to get involvedTo help not only make Mari-Leigh Pi-ennar’s birthday a special one, but to also help iCare and the people they aide, they are asking for any form of donations which can then be taken to

A birthday for the betterment of allKinga Siejek Mari-Leigh’soffice(Building6-104)

or you can drop it off by Building 7 - 203.

While the dealine for the Easther themed event may have passed, there are still many events that will be happening throughout the year, and help help will be greatly appreci-ated.

The best way to enjoy a birthday is to spend it with people you love; where everyone around you is happy. What better way to make that happen than to help bring some joy to those around you.

What a great way to bring the staff and students together, and helping the community all at once?

Happy Birthday Mari-Leigh, and may those that you and iCare are helping enjoy your birthday with you!

ALUMNI NEWS

Student 24/7 - 21

As students we tend to get caught up in our lives and taking the time to supporting a cause is an act of human-ityandcourage, tofight for thosewhocannotfight forthemselves, to lend a helping hand every now and then goes a long way to showing people that there is some-one out there that cares.

Here are some of the causes you can support without living your comfort zone and which will be great for your portfolio as you start your professional journey.

• SPCAThe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – SPCA ‘for short’ – aims to protect all animals from cru-elty, neglect and ill treatment that often results from ig-norance of animals and their needs.

When they say ‘all’ animals, they mean exactly that – from pet dogs, cats and rabbits to farm animals, poultry and even wildlife. Living up to their mission necessitates the work of many different units within the SPCA, which together ensure that animal rights are protected. Youcan contact them through their website

• The Cancer Association of South Africa CANSACANSA’spurposeistoleadthefightagainstcancerinSouth Africa and its mission is to be the preferred non-profitorganisationthatenablesresearch,educatesthepublic and provides support to all people affected by cancer.

Lending a helping handKeleabetswe Narenti

Youcangetinvolvebyvisitingtheirwebsitewww.cansa.org.za by doing the following: signing up as a member, volunteering your services, raising fund online and on thefield,supportingonlinefundraisersandbuyingprod-ucts to support CANSA.

• SANBSSANBSisanon-profitorganisationthatprovidesanes-sential service within South Africa and is rated amongst the best in the world in the provision of blood and blood products, as well as in relation to the research and train-ing provided.

SANBS operates across all of South Africa, with the exclusion of the Western Cape. SANBS is further re-garded as a major role player in the provision of support to countries in the SADC region. Their key purpose is to save patients’ lives.

VisionThe vision of SANBS is to be acknowledged nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence in the disci-pline of blood transfusion.

MissionThe mission of SANBS, an organisation of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors, is to provide all patients with sufficient, safe, quality blood products andmedi-cal services related to blood transfusion, in an equitable, cost effective manner.

STUDENT 911

22 - Student 24/7

It is that time of the year again, stress starts to kick in and everyone is quiet anxious about qualifying for ex-ams simultaneously happy to dust off the semester. Everyone has their own way of studying but this time around, last minute studying or cramming will disap-point you. A university is an institution where you get trained or prepared for work; quite different from high school since you have to understand what you are really studying hence cramming would be a bad idea this time around. To help you prepare for exams, below is lists of11DO’sandDONT’stohelpyouprepareforexams.

DO1. Have faith in yourself, believe you can make it

2 .Perceive the idea of writing an exam as a way of testing your understanding.What causes exam stress is thinking “oh my word I will fail, how am I going to get all that information in to my headin3days”.Sohowaboutyouperceiveexamsasa way of testing how much you understand in a module .Onceyouhavedonethatyouaregoodtogo...remem-ber it is all in the mind.

3. Draw up a study time-table.The idea of using study time tables has always been a bad idea for some people but once you get used to it, it will work wonders. Draw up a study time table and allo-cateatleast50minutesforeverymodulewith10minutebreaks in between.

4. Start studying as early as possible.Use study guides, slides and other available study ma-terial .Test yourself using previous exam papers and stick to your study time-table.

5. Cease to procrastinate It is so easy to procrastinate once exams commence, avoid telling yourself you’ll do something later when you can actually do it now.

6. Drink as much water as you can and eat healthily and study SMART.Getting good grades doesn’t necessarily result fromstudying hard, it is studying smart that gets you good grades.Takeforinstancesomeonewhostudiesfor10hoursthengetstotheexamvenueandonlygets50%right and someone who studied what was REQUIRED forlessthan7hoursandgot80%right.Refertostudyguides and don’t just study everything and while you are at it try to eat healthily and drink water.

DON’T1. Think you cannot make itIt is so easy to look at ourselves and think “i am not smart enough to make it, I am an average student”. Truth is you are smart, look at the mirror every morning

Exam PrepsVukosi Nwaila

and start getting used to that idea and besides you does not necessarily have to be smart to pass an exam you just need the right attitude and a little faith.

2. ProcrastinateDon’t leave it for later, do it now.

3. CramStudy with understanding, do not cram the work. It does work yes but remember that you will need the informa-tion you are studying later, for instance in economics youmighthavetoreflectontheworkyoudidtheprevi-ous year so cramming might be a bad idea.

4. Burn the candle at both endsDo not text and study simultaneously, cut off social net-works until you are done with exam ...the last thing you need is to get distracted and later regretting doing that later.

5. Lose hopeSo you write a paper and then get to your room, check you’re textbook and realise you didn’t do the right thing ...well do not stress as this might affect how you do in your remaining PAPERS.Once you are donewriting,put away the question paper, try not to think about it and then focus on other things, and do not lose hope.

Here is a quote to get you going, all the best for your exams!!

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne WilliamsonIt is our light not our darkness that most frightens usOurdeepestfearisnotthatweareinadequate.Ourdeepestfearisthatwearepowerfulbeyondmea-sure.It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?YouareachildofGod.You’replayingsmalldoesnotservetheworld.There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that otherPeople won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory ofGodthatiswithinus.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other peoplepermission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

STUDENT 911

Student 24/7 - 23

Whoopie! Exam Time!Palesa Mosebi

It’s that time of the year ladies and gents! Love them or hate them, we’re going to have to go into the pool this winter. Our academic records arewaiting for us, only they are at the bottom and the water is ice cold, lit-erally.Youcouldloveexamtimebe-cause it means you are at the end ofthefirstsemester,orjusthatetheanxiety, hard work and well, because it’s exams. However, like a tooth ex-traction, it must be done.

Exams would not be exams without: “Youwantmetodowhatin2hours?”,“there is nothing about this in the textbook”, or “I studied very hard but therewasnowayIwasgoingtofig-ure that out” and exchanging frowns when you get your “heavy” question paper. However, life isn’t all that bad youknow.Ifyoucan’tmakeitthefirsttime, then there is a second chance waiting for you on the deep side called: “Second Opportunity”. Don’tjust jump straight to the second op-portunity if you have not been to the first though,becausethatwouldnotbe a second opportunity but your one

and only chance to get things right.

Life can’t be about difficult papersANDdifficultpeopletoo,onthesameday. People who discuss a paper they just wrote or ask how the paper was for the other person... Stop. IT’s annoying if you don’t feel like you did well in that exam room. It might be good manners to ask; but let’s prac-tice letting things go and reading fa-cial expressions please. If it went well with them, they will tell you, or their

faces will, just know when not to ask. It is said that life is about dancing in the rain; well it certainly is about dancing in the cold with an academic record and a smile on your face. We can make it if we put in a lot of work, keep the faith and seek help where it’s needed. The great thing about exam is that there is a memorandum for each paper, so it’s not your lectur-er scrutinising your grammar, neat-ness or context, but it’s about you answering the questions correctly. Let’s do great and feel great. Make it count when you take this big step towards getting your degree.

SETA and NWU VAAL provides in-service training to graduatesAnnette Willemse

Gettingaperfectjobiseverygraduate’sdreambutthisis not always the case, this is where internships come in. Internships are a good way to gain experience and get exposed to the workplace.

To provide skills and training for the graduates the ETD SETA (Education, Training and Development) SETA provided 33 internship opportunities for the NWU, ofwhich 17 positions were made available on the VaalCampus. Seventeen graduates from the Vaal Campus are currently posted in internships at different schools and departments on the Vaal Campus.

The SETA is mandated to promote and facilitate the de-livery of education, training and development in order to enhancetheskillsprofileoftheEducation,TrainingandDevelopment (ETD) sector and contribute to the cre-ation of employment opportunities, especially for those previously disadvantaged.

Interns currently on the Vaal Campus have learnt the importance of professional conduct, time management and team work. Most interns have worries about the money they receive from their internship, but according toLebohangMokoena,headoffinanceandmarketingat the Centre of Continuing Professional Development (CCPD), money is an issue when you start working. The stipend provided by SETA to the interns makes it easy for them to be able to come to work and gain experience before going into the workplace, which is more impor-

STUDENT 911

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tant at the moment.

“It is not always that you are placed in the department of your choice or study, but you have to take advantage andmakeitworkforyou.Youneverknowwhenyouwillneed the skill that you learned,” says Motlalepule Mohla-pholi, HR graduate and intern at the NWU Vaal Campus’ Marketing and Communication Department.

Interns wish that mentors and the people supervising them would try and understand that they are there to learn and should do work that is related to their line of study. Most of the interns say that they sometimes feel like they are taken for granted and that they would like mentors to delegate more important work to them.

Most interns would also appreciate proper job descrip-tions, as being an intern is a great opportunity to gain experience. Interns are not looking to be pampered but they would like their mentors to make them comfortable by establishing proper working relationships.

Through the effort of the NWU Vaal Campus to accom-modate the interns, ETD SETA has managed to provide skillsandtrainingto17graduatesandfromthegroup2 interns already managed to get jobs. As a way to im-prove the skills of the graduates, the ETD SETA is plan-ning to provide the remaining interns with a project man-agement skill by providing them with bursaries to train with the CCPD on the NWU Vaal Campus.

ETD SETA has an ongoing initiative in which it strives to provide young graduates with skills to prepare them for the workplace and to increase their chances of employment.“If we are the pillars of strength (ETD SETA and the university) it is easy to provide training and development to young graduates,” says Lebohang Mokoena.

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HEALTH

Happiness is QualityLebogang Masemula

“Happiness is not something really made. It comes from your own actions”- Dalai Lama

Happinessisdefinedasamentaloremotionalstateofwell-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

An emotion is one powerful weapon that controls a mind. The obvious outcome of a sad emotion is an unhappy soul. Why not cultivate long term happiness by sowing regular seeds of positive emotions?

One of the factors that might prevent us from beinghappy is our past. If it’s going to prevent us from being happyTODAYwhynot leave itand justbury it?Yes Imay not understand what you going/went through, but all of us are going through issues yet we choose not to entertainthem.Wedon’tallowthemdefinewhoweare.Every life deserves a beautiful living for it is too short not to be enjoyed.

Happiness is a choice. Sometimes all we need to do is open up and just let go. Tyler Perry strongly believes that the key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. An essential key to happiness is investing in relation-ships. People who are happy seem to know that hap-piness is the sum of their life choices. Majority of their lives are built on the following factors:

Devotingtimetofamilyandfriends Appreciatingwhattheyhave Maintaininganoptimisticoutlook Feelingasenseofpurpose,and Livinginthemoment

Personally,Idon’tthinkthebenefitsofpositiveemotionscan be overstated. They’re good for our health and well-being. Dr Barbara Fredickson, a distinguished psychol-ogy professor and author of Positivity believes that a positive frame of mind and emotional state improves an individual’s performance. She argues that as happiness flowsthroughourhearts,itsimultaneouslybroadensourminds. To sum up, happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions; it is governed by our mental attitude. Now let us make the right choice and enjoy the qualities happi-ness conveys.

PS: If you need any help in dealing with personal mat-ters, the Student Development Support is always willing tohelp.Location:Building13,LearningandResearchCommons.

HEALTH

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With the imminent approach of win-ter, food can become an enticing source of solace to beat the winter blues! The trouble is the kind of food you consume can have long-lasting negative effects on your health, one of them being cholesterol. Cholester-ol is a fatty substance made naturally in the body. It makes up cell walls and compartments to regulate the move-ment of substance into and within the cell. There are important bodily func-tions that cholesterol impacts, such as digestion, manufacturing of hor-mones and protection of nerve end-ings.Yes,cholesterolcanbegood!

The problem arises when this “si-lent killer” presents itself as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, when an unhealthy diet is ensued. Although high cholesterol can be ge-netically inherited (which means that your body naturally produces exces-sive cholesterol), it can be managed by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Health 24 presents tips on ways to lower your cholesterol, here are a few:•Attainandmaintainahealthybodyweight: But what is a healthy body weight? Well, simply calculate your body mass index or BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. On average, aBMIof25isconsideredover-weightand that between 18.5 and 24.9 ishealthy weight.

•Replacesaturated fats:Brickmar-garines and cream tend to be high in saturated fats. Avoid these and re-place them with soft tub margarine, olive oil, Canola, avocado, grape seedandsunfloweroil.

•Bephysicallyactive:Frequentexer-cise helps increase the “good” kind of cholesterol.

•Upyourfibreintake:Fruitandveg-etables (especially legumes such as

The Good, The Bad, ThE ChOLESTEROLSelina Mokatsane

beans, peas and lentils) are a good sourceoffibre,atleastfourservingadaywillbenefityourhealth.

So take charge of your life and strive to live and eat healthily. The road to healthy living is not too far-fetched. By reading this, you have taken the firststep!

Ponder in comfort food this winterPearl Mavunda

Feel good while staying healthy

When we’re not feeling our best, whether we’re stressed out or we’re coming down with a cold, we often turn to “com-fort food” to soothe ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with us-ing food to feel better as long as you don’t eat something that will just end up making you feel worse later. But, don’t worry, there are plen-ty of healthy comfort foods that you can enjoy with guilt or regret. Here are5deliciousideasthatyoucantryat home and even at res:

BowlofOatmealThere’s no better way to start the day (especially a cold one) than with a warm bowl of oatmeal. Not only will thefiberinoatmealhelpyoufeelfulllonger, it will also help your heart by reducing the amount of cholesterol you absorb. As if that isn’t enough, you can make your breakfast even more special by adding a variety of healthy toppings. Try a 1/4 cup ofblueberries, 1 tablespoon choppedwalnuts and a dash of cinnamon or 1/2aslicedbananaand1tablespoon

of peanut butter. You’ll feel

good from the in-side out.Mac & CheeseSkip the box to turn this kid-friendly comfort food into a dinner-time sta-ple. The simple recipe with sophis-ticated flavor features turkey bacon

and three kinds of cheese. Add

chicken and veggies to make a one-dish meal like this

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese.

Low-carb pizza crustA slice of pizza every once in a while won’t hurt you, but this cauliflowercrust pizza is healthy enough to eat wheneveryouhaveacraving.Onceyou’ve baked the crust the toppings are up to your imagination. Try fresh tomatoes, basil and buffalo mozza-rel- la for a traditional taste or

Student 24/7 - 27

HEALTH

go for grilled chicken breast,

reduced-fat cheddar and a drizzle of barbeque sauce for

something more fun.Nut-butter & HoneyNB&H. Just like the PB&J of your childhood, a nut butter and honey sandwich will hit the spot when you’re out of sorts. This grown-up version of the brown-bag staple can be made from any kind of nut or seed. It’s easy to make your own nut butters in a food processor. Try almonds, hazelnuts or cashews. Although nuts are high in calories, they pack

a huge nutrition punch, providing heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturatedfats,fillingproteinand essential vitamin and minerals.

Chicken Noodle soupEven the Mayo Clinic agrees that chickensoupcan reduce inflamma-tion and speed the loosening of mu-cus in the sinuses, so listen to

your Mom on this one. If

you’re feeling bad, go f o r soup. If traditional chicken noodle is too bland for your grown-up tastes, there are lots of options to spice it up including ginger and pesto.Call and remind a friend that, they don’t need to eat the greasy drum-stick or the whole ice-cream that would make them feel “better”. Let’s all follow theseeasy tomake5de-licious snack/meals that will would keep us warm in the inside/out.

Pearl Mavunda_Million miles away from normal*

GUYS TALK

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In a game of golf, it is the person with the lowest score who wins. This score is determined by the number of strokes it takes a player to get the ball from the tee, and into the hole in the green. In other words, the fewer times you hit the ball to get it from the start of the course and into the hole at the end of the course, the better. Inherently, due to this fact, the greatest aspiration of any golfer is to hit a hole-in-one; which is the act of scoring one’s ball into the hole with the golfer’s first strokewhen teeingoff. This is however much easier said than done, as the distance to each hole is typically 240 yards from thetee. The average recreational golfer can hit a ball about as far as 200yards, whereas pro golfers can hit a ballasfaras300yards.

There are eighteen holes on a golf course. That’s eighteen opportunities to get your hole-in-one. Sadly, this does not necessarily improve one’s oddstodo it.Onecanhoweverstillscore a bogey, or even a birdie. This would be one stroke over, or under par, respectively (par is a standard score for a whole). They aren’t as profound as a hole-in-one, but they are a good standard by which you can measure your game. More than that, they can help you attain a de-cent score, and maybe even to win the game. Herein lays the moral of our story. Life is like a game of golf; you might not hit it right into the hole with that first hit, but you still haveseventeen more holes to try again. Likewise, each that we rise to see the sun again is like a new beginning, and another chance to try for a new hole-in-one.

Much like life, golf has its challenges along the way to that goal. A player is faced with several adversities that will try to break one’s spirit and con-test their devotion to getting the job done. It is for this reason that it is im-portant to take on every trial as you would a round of golf. When step-ping up to the tee, the player assert-ively stands his ground ready to drive the ball into the air using a wooden

Putt into the holeRatanang Mogatusi club.Onceyou’reinthefairway(the

area between the tee and the green) things can become frustrating, and onemay find him/herself in a sandbunker, or water hazard, but so long as you have your irons and hybrid clubs you should be able to battle your way into the green.

Quitting is always an option, but if you do, you’ll never make it into the

green; therefore you will never win. Onceyou’reinthegreen,theendisnowinsight.Yourgoalnowbecomesmore real, as you can see it before you. It can feel both so near, and yet so far. It now becomes more impor-tant than ever that you maintain your composure and focus on that finalstretch. To taste victory, you equip yourself with your putter; or what-ever tools you need to overcome your obstacle. Relax. Take a moment to breath, and putt that ball into that hole.

PROFILE

Student 24/7 - 29

NWU vaal was once again struck by yet another trag-edy.OnMondaythe28thofApriltheuniversitywasintotal shock as they received devastating news that one of its honours students Mokemane Johannes Makume had passed on following a tragic car accident. Makume, according to a close relative was on his way back home to Liendly from Bloemfontein where he had underwent football trials when the accident occurred. It is still not known whether Makume’s accident was indeed an ac-cident or a vehicular homicide because his body was found dumped on the side of the rod by a stranger pass-ing by.

The news of his passing came as a total shock to his friendsanda legionof his friends.Oneof his closestfriends who were traumatized by the news was Nathan-ielModibawhowashisfriendsincetheirfirstyearbackin2010anda formerBComstudentat theuniversity.“This is a tragic loss, “said Modiba. “Words cannot be-gin to explain how devastated I was after hearing the news. I am still coming to terms with the fact that I will never see him again. He was a noble guy who was blessedwith immensenatural talent.Hewasa terrificdefender, he had the skill and unconditional passion for the game. The world has lost a great man in him,” Modiba concluded.

Beforehewaslaidtorest,onThursdaythe1stofMayhis friends and former res-mates organized and hosted a football tournament in his memory. The tournament was played between residence teams since 2010.Shortly before the games kicked off both players and

Gone but not forgottenMangaliso Maduna

spectators stood up with their heads bowed as they ob-served a two-minute moment of silence. He was laid to restonSaturdaythe3rd.

We would like to extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to his friends and family.

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30 - Student 24/7

Wow! It is funny how time really flies. It feltjust like yesterday when we stood in that long and tiring queue of registration, yet it almost seems unbe-lievable that we have approached our mid- year exams. Exams aredefinitelynoteasybut nothing can beat thorough preparation and diligence. I would like to take this oppor-tunity and wish every-one the best of luck in their exams.

Now, shifting focus on campus sport, it goes without saying that May has been a happy hunting month as far as our campus sport is concerned. When our head of sport on campus Mr Seun McCallaghan spoke of “achieving the next level” earlier at this year’s award ceremony many believed that his statement was too ambitious and far-fetched. Judging from a recent accession of most of our teams one could contend that his prophecy has come into fruition.

Oneteaminparticular thathasshownremarkable im-provement is our ladies soccer team. For long they have been a shadow of their former selves but the team has improved under the tutelage of coach Jomo. He has

A note from the Sports Editor...managed to instill a winning mentality to a team that was strugglingwith confidence.Twowins in their lasttwo games shows that they mean business. The pursuit of victory and excellence has somehow elevated their gameintoanewlevelofgreatness.Giventhelevelofour sports pedigree and a crop of talented players we have at our disposal, a spot in the USSA Champion-ships is on the cards if anything is to go by.

The Rugby Valke League has also been in full swing however the senior male team has been struggling with form. They have been inconsistent of late but I am sure it is just a rough patch and it shall come to pass. None-thelesstheU21shavebeenexceptional.

Lastly, the World Cup is around the corner and Brazil will be the place to be. Football in Brazil is more than just a sport. It is part of their religion, their way of life. They breathe, live and eat it. As the cliché goes “The English have invented the game but the South Ameri-cans have perfected it. Having won the World Cup a re-cordfivetimes,Brazilaretheundisputedfavouratesto

It’s now or never

clinch football’s glittering prize but they first haveto deal with the Messis, Ronaldos and Xavis of this world. Will Spain de-fend their crown? Will the English come to the party this time around? Fate will decide.

YoursinwritingMangaliso Maduna

PROFILE

Student 24/7 - 31

NWU Vaal on the riseJohannes Masiteng

Both the Vaal Campus Women’s and Men’s football club collected a total of 7 points and 4 points respectively in their last three University Sports of South Africa Gauteng FootballLeague(USSAGFL)games.

LadiesNWU Vaal hosted Wits University on 15 April and either team could notget the result. NWU Vaal conceded an early goal, but they drew level be-fore the half time break. The teams wereevenlymatchedinthefirsthalfwith equal scoring chances. NWU Vaal was eager to extend their lead but the visitors defended well, stop-ping any attacks by the opposition. The home side cannot hold on to their lead as the visitors levelled the matters 10 minutes from time. Thelate equaliser meant that either team walks away with a share of spoils.

A week later NWU Vaal visited Med-unsa. NWU Vaal women capitalised on the hosts’ poor performance and drubbed them 6-0. They dominatedthe whole game with possession and shots.Theynetted3goalsinthefirsthalfandaddedanother3inthefinalhalf of the match. Medunsa players squandered possession easily and the visitors punished them.

NWU Vaal displayed an impressive play when they eased past bottom log placed Midrand Graduate In-stitute (MGI) on 5 May. NWU Vaal

dominated their opponents from the firstminutetothelast.MGI’sdefenceand goalkeeper made mistakes at the back and NWU Vaal attackers capitalised on that, netting 4 goals in the first half. Medunsa improvedtheir play in the second half but could not break into NWU Vaal’s defence. NWU Vaal also looked to net more goals but squandered their scoring chances. The game ended 4-0 infavour of NWU Vaal. These results mean that NWU Vaal Women move to 5th place, with teams below agame to play. NWU Vaal Women’s Football team will play Monash in theirnextfixture.

MenNWU Vaal Men’s Football Club also managed to collect 4 points in their last2outings.On15April,NWUVaalMen collected a point with a goalless stalemateand lateron06May theydefeatedMidrandGraduateInstitute2-0.

NWU Vaal and Wits University could notfind thebackof thenetasbothteams were solid. Both sides squan-dered their scoring chances in the early moments of the match. Both enjoyed same portion of posses-sion and had set pieces, yet could not break the deadlock. The second period of the match saw both sides have more scoring but kept wasting them. Goalkeepers of both teamskept it goalless pulling crucial saves when either side’s attackers posed a threat.

Efforts at goal from both NWU Vaal and Wits attackers produced routine saves from the goalkeepers of both teams. They were evenly matched in every department, with most pos-session played in the middle of the field.Eitherteam’sattackswerebro-ken down as the defenders made vital interceptions.Wits conceded3consecutive corner kicks with a few minutes to play, but failed find thewinner. The teams shared spoils as thematchended0-0.

NWUVaalhostedMidrandGraduateInstituteon6May.Wedidnothaveto wait long for a goal in this as NWU Vaalnettedearly in thematch.MGIlost possession cheaply and relied on counter attackers. NWU Vaal at-tackers were guilty of missing glori-ousscoringchancesinthefinalmin-utes of the match. During the second, they attempted to extend their lead butMGI’sdefencewasstrong.

MGI seemed more organised andlaunched attacks with the goal at-tempts going wide of goal or easily saved by the NWU Vaal goalie. Final-ly NWU Vaal scored their insurance goal later in the second half. They held on to their lead 2 goal contain-ingMGI’sattacks.Thematchended2-0infavourofVaalPukke.

NWUVaalMenareonthe6thposi-tion on the league with two games behind the team above. They will play Medunsa before visiting their cross-townrivalsVUTon12August.

USSA Games Wrap Up: UP vs NWU VaalMangaliso Maduna & Johannes Masiteng

With the Fifa World Cup fast approaching, the world will turn its attention to Brazil as the World Cup trots to its climax. Fans across the globewill flock to Bra-zilinnumberstowitnessthe20theditionoftheworld’sgreatest spectacle. The World Cup is always a special experience, it brings both passion and excitement into the game. Above all, it is the pinnacle of international football. It offers fans around the globe an opportunity to watch football elites battling it out in the biggest stage of them all.

While brainstorming story ideas for the May edition, myself and my counterpart Johannes ran into an in-ternational student, Jasper Vanassche, who hails from Belgium. We then enjoyed a good chat and promised to grant us an interview. In his interview he talks to us about his experience in South Africa and NWU Vaal. Lastly he also gives his insight on how Belgium will per-formattheWorldCupfinalsinBrazil.

What was the nature of your visit to South Africa?I was visiting South Africa as part of my PhD project. As aPhDstudentinSocialPsychologyatGhentUniversity

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(Belgium), I work in close collaboration with Prof. Ian RothmannandhiscolleaguesattheresearchunitOp-tentia. Prof. Rothmann invited me for a short research stay wherein I had the time and opportunity to collect data and to interact with other scholars at Vaal Triangle Campus.

What was your overall impression about South Afri-ca, in particular North West University (Vaal Triangle Campus)?I think South Africa is a very warm country, both in terms of the weather and the people. Even though everybody told me ‘winter is coming’, to me the weather was bril-liant! Also, every South African that I met was extremely friendly to me, I easily made friends and I really enjoyed their company. Vaal Triangle Campus looks like a very quiet campus. Not a lot is happening, but the biggest advantage of this relaxed atmosphere is the beautiful nature. My favorite activity was walking around to the river side, watching the game and just chilling around.

What course are you currently studying and what brought you to South Africa in the first place?Apart from the touristic attractions, South Africa seemed like a fascinating country with 11 different languagegroups and even more cultural groups. I’m studying So-cial Psychology, so for me, it is very interesting to see how all different groups interact and how the country has evolved from a regime of discrimination towards a true multicultural society.

On the ballFirst and foremost, congratulations on behalf of your country on their qualification for Brazil. De-spite not featuring in the past two editions of the World Cup, do you think your Belgium can be the surprise package in Brazil?That is an interesting question. I think other countries consider us as outsiders, they’re a bit afraid of us. In the past,wenevergotfurtherthansemi-finals,butthisgen-eration is extraordinary, I hope we perform well and kick outabigfavoritesuchasPortugalorGermany.Socceris full of surprises, so you never know what will hap-pen…

Belgium has been blessed with a golden generation of footballers with most of them plying their trade in the English Premier League, does it put them in a favourable position? Are they legitimate title con-tenders?Indeed, most Belgian internationals play in the top leagues in the world, they’ve been playing in the Cham-pions League and the Europe Cup, and most important-ly, they’re used to the pressure. If all players perform at theirbestlevel,wehaveagreatteamthatwillbedifficultto beat!

Your squad boasts a mixture of star-studded vet-erans with young prospects such as Vincent Kom-pany, Daniel van Buyten, Eden Hazard and Kevin Mirralas, many will argue that you guys look good on paper and considering your inexperience in

competing in major tournaments they might have a point, do you think that could count against you?Well,VanBuytenhasplayedtheWorldCup2002,andour coach (Marc Wilmots) was also part of the national team back then. Their experience might play a key role, they can be the guides leading our youngsters (Hazard, Kompany …) to the top of their abilities. As you say, for almost all players, it’s their first big tournament, andthey’ll be stressed. Nonetheless, I think they’re ready for it, this is the year where we can harvest!

Finally, history has proven in the past that Europe-an teams traditionally find it hard to adapt in South America, do you think there might be change of for-tune this time around?Belgium is a flat country where the temperatures arevery mild in summer. Brazil, on the other hand, has a subtropical climate and some stadiums are located at 1000metersabovesealevel…Thatwilldefinitelybeanadaptation for the Red Devils, but as their name states, the Devils can kick ass everywhere!

Before we let you go, is there anything you would like to say to NWU (vaal) students?I wish them all the best, they must cherish their beautiful campus, enjoy their student time, work hard and play hard. And after their studies, all of them must visit Bel-gium, I’ll show them around just like I’ve been taken care of around here. Thanks everyone and take care!

My brother, it’s been a pleasure talking to you and all the best going forward.

Quick one two’sApple or Blackberry? AppleMessi or Ronaldo? Hazard is the futureJose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola?Guardiola,forsure!His soccer is much more attractive then José’s…EPL or La liga?EPL,theyhave8-10greatteamscom-peting for the title,whereas inSpain, thereareonly3major teams…Coutoirs or Mignolet? Courtois, he’s our number one, hescores10/10,Mignoletscores9,5/10.

SPORT

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NWU Vaal boasts with international Sport AmbassadorAnnette Willemse

NWU Vaal boasts with international sport ambassador The Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West Univer-sity (NWU Vaal) boasts with an inter-national sport ambassador. The very talented19-yearoldShantéBukes,aBCom student and the current world Jetski Women’s Runabout Stock champion, will take up the reigns as theCampus’sfirst-eversportambas-sador.

Shanté burst onto the global sport scene in 2013 when she won theJet Ski Kings Cup in Pattaya, Thai-land. When asked about how she feels about her appointment as sport ambassador, she says that the an-nouncement left her speechless. “For a moment I did not know how to re-act! It was only after seeing my father wiping away tears of joy that the real-ity of the announcement took root,”

says Shanté. The announcement was made by Sean McCallaghan, the NWU Vaal Sport Manager.According to Shanté she is very ex-cited about her role as ambassador. “I know have even more reason to perform well – be it in the lecture room or on the water. As a Campus ambassador I have to strive to be the best I can possibly be in order to do my Campus justice,” says Shanté while adding that she wants to in-spire others through her passion for sport.

Atonly19yearsofage,Shantéhasproven herself against many older and psychically stronger athletes. She is currently taking part in the USA national tour following her win-ning streak in Parker, Arizona on the Colorado River during the Jettribe Regionals.Sheboastswithtwofirstplaces in the PRORunabout Stockcategory and another two in the

women’s Runabout Stock category. She made good on her performance bytakingpartinthefirstroundoftheUSA National Jet Ski Tournament in Pensacola, Florida. The race was determined in stormy waters, but she managed to take home the spoils. She took first place in thewomen’sRunaboutStockcategoryandafifthpositioninthePRORunaboutStockcategory. Shanté will now participate in the second round of the national tour in Panama City, Florida.

NWU Vaal hosts first-ever Intervarsity Equestrian Tent pegging ChampionshipEttienne van Rensburg

When you witness a horse and rid-er working in perfect harmony with each other, you know that the rider understands the relationship with his/her horse. Through mutual respect and understanding, horse and rider become one. It was just such a sight that had spectators in awe during the first-everIntervarsityEquestrianTentpegging Championship which re-cently took place at the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West Univer-

sity (NWU Vaal).

The NWU Vaal played host to this historic event that saw the North-West University (NWU) take on the team from the University of the Free State (Kovsies). The NWU walked away with the spoils.

The A team from the NWU (Anzel van Graan,HannelievanNiekerk,Lieha-na van Niekerk en JJ van Rooyen) stacked-up827pointswhiletheteamfrom Bloemfontein only managed 794 points.

“It has always been my dream to see an event such as this take place and I am happy to say that the students and the supporters thoroughly en-joyed themselves,” says Annas van Graan, organiser and chairpersonof the South African Equestrian Tent pegging Association (SAETA). Ac-cording to VanGraan, this event isset to become an annual event.

South Africa is currently the eques-trian tent pegging world champions.