Vol. 2 No. 6 9 July 2012

2 EDITOR’S LETTER 9 July 2012

Kinga Siejek

The recess is almost over, and it feels like it barely began. It really does seem like time flies faster when you’re having fun...

Well, luckily there is still one more week left, so use it wisely! The reason I have decided to bring out the July Edition during the recess, is because there is some news inside which I know may be quite useful, even before you start your second semester of the year. With so little time in the second

semester, the earlier you start with planning, the easier it will be.

To all those first year students; congratulations on making it through your first semester of University! Many of you may have been bummed with how you think it went, your results not be-ing as great as you would have wanted, and some of you may have had to take a second oppor-tunity for a class or three. This is part of the process of getting out of your high school shoes and into your new Varsity boots. They are big to fill, but it can be done.

It is always at this time of year that a student realises that sleep-ing all day, and partying all night will not guarantee a pass mark at the end of it all. So take a big boy/

girl pill, breathe, and be prepared for round two!

Check out the Campus News sec-tion, for info on the Reading Lab, student workshops and SI. All helpful tools, doesn’t matter what year you are in...

Don’t forget that on 18 July is Mandela Day! Use your 67 min-utes to make a change for the bet-ter in someone else’s life! It will only bring you good fortune back one day!

Keep a look out for the Women’s Day event next month (see page 13 & 14). Book a seat ladies; it’s bound to be an interesting day!So go on... Start reading through the pages, learn something new, take some notes, have a laugh!

One Semester down! One to go! Woohoo!

3CAMPUS NEWS9 July 2012

Good news for all AGLA121 and AGLE121 stu-dents!

The ADS Reading Development Lab will be open for longer hours in the second semester. The lab times are as follows: Monday – Friday: 08:00 – 20:00Saturdays: 08:00 – 16:00

If you haven’t started with your reading yet, you need to know the following basic information:

English students read on a programme called READ ON. All English students do an initial test, and they then complete their prescription on READ ON. After this they do a final test dur-ing which they must reach a reading speed of 350 words per minute at 70% comprehension.

ADS Reading Development Lab open for longer hours

Afrikaanse studente lees op ‘n leesprogram met die naam ACADEMIX. Hulle doen ‘n eerste leestoets en word dan op die korrekte vlak op die ACADEMIX program geplaas. Alle Afrikaanse studente moet ten minste 20 lesse lees, en ‘n leesspoed van 400 woorde per minuut teen 80% begrip bereik. Hierna is die student gereed vir die finale toets, waartydens ‘n leesspoed van 350 woorde per minuut teen 70% begrip behaal moet word.

The ADS Reading Development Lab has friendly staff who will show you the ropes. Do visit us soon. We are in Building 9A, G20. Up to date information is also available on the eFundi page. For any enquiries, please call Dine du Preez at 016 910 3311.

Yes, it is true. Student Academic Development and Support conducts workshops on all the study skills and strategies you might need to be a great student. Twice a week, every week.

Topics include motivation, goal setting, study techniques, mind mapping, note making, mem-ory strategies, quoting sources, plagiarism, time management, self-regulation of learning, managing exam stress, exam preparation and lots more.

The workshops are on different dates and times during the week, to enable all students to attend. If you want to attend any, or all of these, please send an email to dine.dupreez@nwu.ac.za with your name, surname and cellphone number, and an sms will be sent to you with the dates, times and topics of all workshops. You can also visit our offices in building 9A, G19 and provide us with your contact details, and we will add you to the database of existing

It happens twice a week, every week...customers.

We also do road shows. During the first se-mester, Student Academic Development and Support addressed various residences, upon request, on the services of our department and other academic issues. Pictured below are the students of Longfellow Village at such an oc-casion.

Keep those requests coming!

9 July 2012ADVERTISEMENT4

9 july 2012 CAMPUS NEWS 5

Supplemental Instruction is by now a well known academic assistance programme on campus. Many students will testify to the fact that attending SI sessions helps them do well academically, or helps them pass the so-called ‘monster courses’. SI is offered in most of these historically difficult courses on campus, as well as in courses where a little extra

support may come in handy.

With a new semester comes new challenges, and the best strategy any student can use is to jump right in. Remember the second semester is very short, only 13 academic weeks, and you will need to stay up to date.

To make the most of your stud-ies, find your SI groups, at-

tend as many SI sessions as you can, and get involved: talk, discuss, argue, quarrel and fight. Whatever you do, make yourself heard. After all, it is in SI that you see new possibili-ties and fall in love with your course work.

Also join us on Facebook. Go to Supplemental Instruction NWU Vaal and like us.

Supplemental Instruction (SI) does it again in the second semester

9 July 2012CAMPUS NEWS6

Greening the Earth and the CampusRoché Artz

Imagine if you were given a role to be an am-bassador of the earth? What is it that you would do? Greening the earth, or going green are terms which are commonly used lately. Yes, you’d probably be aware of the term Global Warming.

Our Campus in particular, is known as the Green Campus. If you doubt this, take the time to walk around, and you’ll see nature staring back at you. Not only is our Campus known as the Green Campus, but, in addition, one of our fellow students, Toka Lintsa, 3rd year, BCom Accounting (CA) has been chosen as a Gauteng Regional Finalist for Miss Earth South Africa (MESA), in association with Con-sol.

In an interview with her, she said that the rea-son why she entered MESA is because it allows her to create a change in the community, and lives of others and to become the epiphany. She said it feels like, “it’s part of me living an epiphany”. Toka explained that MESA is about empowering young women of making a green difference in the community, the environment and the personal lives of others. She said,

9 July 2012 CAMPUS NEWS 7Continued from page 6

“It mainly focuses on educating young people and with the people, the companies they form partnerships with.”

Having travelled to places like India, has helped her differentiate the levels of clean-liness with what exists in South Africa. She said, “One gets to appreciate the cleanliness of South Africa”.

Being a regional finalist of MESA, she partici-pates in many community activities. One of these activities, in which our Campus has con-tributed towards her advancement was ‘The Stationery Drive’. As regional finalists, they had to collect stationery for less privileged schools and distribute to schools in Orange Farm. She said “I sent a basket around my CA [Chartered Accountancy] class wherein each student contributed as many colour pencils, crayons, and pens as they possibly could. To my surprise, the basket was full of stationery”.

On Campus, Toka applies what she learns through MESA. She said, “I now make print outs on both sides of the paper, which saves trees which are being cut down”.

She describes herself as a person who values individuals a lot. She said, “Everyone should learn to be comfortable for who you are. Rath-er pass an inspiration instead of judgement. Embrace your character. Life is too short to try to blend in”.

Toka has Student 24/7’s vote!

9 July 20128 CAMPUS NEWS

Annette Willemse

Academics gear-up for ITEA 2012It is said that the aim of every teacher should be, not to impart their own opinions, but to kindle minds. In light of this, several academic staff members have signed up for the annual Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (ITEA) and through their participation they will further develop their teaching skills and practices.

The Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (ITEA) is aimed at encouraging full-time aca-demic members of staff, involved in teaching at the University, to further hone their skills and to give evidence-driven demonstrations that their teaching practices adhere excellently to sound outcomes-based teaching principles. These principles should result in effective learning within the higher education sector. As an award the ITEA process recognizes that an academic member of staff already attained the status of excellent university teaching and the award serves as a mechanism of acknowledg-ing this excellence. The process furthermore offers opportunities to academic members of staff to improve their teaching practices opti-mally through scheduled workshops and under guidance of an experienced academic advisor and an academic peer from the same field of study.

The following staff members will be taking part in ITEA 2012:

• Dr. Elrie BothaFaculty of Humanities, School of Behavioural Sciences

Teaching philosophy: Students should grow in independent thinking and have confidence in their abilities to add value to the industry in their respective fields of study. This can be accomplished by using a blended method of teaching and learning on all levels, although in different percentages of application.

• Mrs. Irene MullerFaculty of Humanities, School of Education

Sciences

Teaching philosophy:I follow the Human Constructivist approach in my teaching. Human constructivists see hu-man beings as meaning makers and the goal of education is to construct shared meanings that must be facilitated through the interactive intervention of well-prepared lecturers. This implies to me that no two students construct knowledge precisely the same and I see my-self as a negotiator of meaning to bridge dif-ferences between students and knowledge levels in my classroom. I respect the diversity of my students and accept that I have an ethi-cal and professional responsibility to guide my students to conceptual understanding; and if necessary, conceptual change, in a subject. I want my students to feel equal, responsible for their own progress regarding knowledge and understanding of subject matter, and therefore let them interact on various levels in the class-room like performing experiments, solve prob-lems, doing group work, doing assignments individually and in groups, debate issues, and reflect on their own attempts.

• Dr. Mirna NelFaculty of Humanities, School of Education Sciences

Teaching philosophy:As a believer in inclusive education it is im-portant for me to create a welcoming, caring climate in my classroom where every student must feel comfortable to speak his/her mind. Since a key focus of my modules are to ad-dress diverse needs of learners it is important for me to stimulate my students’ creativity and critical thinking skills in order for them to be-come flexible and open minded teachers that accept and accommodate differences.

• Ms. Maristi PartridgeFaculty of Humanities, School of Languages

Teaching philosophy:

9 July 2012 9CAMPUS NEWS

I would like to assist students in not only ac-quiring information, but also in teaching them how to think critically and use their knowledge in new and unfamiliar situations. In this way I hope to contribute to the development of inde-pendent professionals who are able to conduct themselves both knowledgeably and confi-dently in the career of their choice.

• Mrs. Viné PetzerFaculty of Humanities, School of Education Sciences

Teaching philosophy:I believe that every student has the ability to excel in his/her studies. By means of clear goal setting, astuteness and determination; suc-cess is in reach of all. My teaching philosophy is highly influenced by providing motivation and an interactive platform from where partici-pation in all classroom activities takes place. I believe in the value of clever planning and practical application and as such homework plays an important role in my teaching philoso-phy. I encourage my students to apply insight and subject knowledge when they address problems whilst healthy interpersonal commu-nication ensures success in the classroom.

• Mrs. Annatjie StanderFaculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology, School of Accounting Sciences

Teaching philosophy: Striving towards the optimal development of learners, I focus on aligning both the personal and career orientated development of students attending my class. This is achieved through the establishment of a learning environment that installs a sense of self responsibility among learners, facilitating exploration of the dynamic potential present within the individual. Fundamental to my approach is facilitating a climate of enthusiasm for the relevant module and thought process development amongst my students, based in a context of immaculate lecture preparation and continuous learning development opportunity. I see the final out-come of teaching, that the learner must add value to his/her position, organization, commu-nity and country.

• Dr. Karen van der MerweFaculty of Humanities, School of Behavioral Sciences

Teaching philosophy:My aim is to contribute to the students’ aca-demic and life journey to the extent that they not only master fundamental aspects of psychol-ogy but also that they develop critical thinking, inquisitiveness and insight. My dream is that each of the students will leave our institution a well-rounded person who has not only learned important academic and cognitive skills but who has also learned to be sensitive, respect-ful and willing to contribute to the well-being of our community. I thus believe teaching is only part of what I do; educating students through my example, respect, care, enthusiasm, be-ing responsible and dependable is another major part of my vocation. The social-cultural approach to learning of Vygotsky informs my teaching practices. I accentuate language as the main instrument for learning and under-stand that our mostly unprepared students’ learn in their second language which they have mostly not mastered sufficiently. I there-fore strive to ensure that I meet students on their level of language development. I attempt to structure the lesson and provide scaffolding to enable students to construct higher levels of knowledge and insight. Students are encour-aged to make use of all the help provided by ADS and library and other resources.

• Mrs. Beitske van der NietFaculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology: School of Accounting Sciences

Teaching philosophy: I need to know for myself if I am meeting the standard of being an excellent lecturer – as it is one of the most important mission statements of this University. We all have this inner strive to be found competent, to know you are per-forming on the standard set for lecturers at the University. Being evaluated by a panel of judg-es who were already found competent in terms of ITEA would inspire me to achieve more. One day I hope that students will remember me as one of their lecturers that helped them to un-derstand and apply the information I shared with them.

9 July 2012CAMPUS NEWS10

• Mr. Muhiya Tsombe LukambaFaculty of Humanities: School of Basic Sci-ences

Teaching philosophy: Under the teaching philosophy, a lecturer should demonstrate a passion about teaching. This passion is the most important element of effective teaching as it leads to a preparation of a lesion, and the desire of contemplating what students should study. As a lecturer I need to demonstrate to students the outcome of each lesson to enable them to follow and keep up with the work. In many instances I give them homework to do and subsequently evaluate their level of understanding. One of the major roles of a lecturer is to be able to communi-cate new information to a student and by doing so engage them intellectually. My role in the classroom is to demonstrate to the students my expertise on the subject matter. When they ask a question I must be able to respond to them in a knowledgeable way.

• Dr. Joseph SekhampuFaculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology: School of Economic Sciences

Teaching philosophy:I believe that each student is a unique indi-vidual who needs an environment where they can realize their potential in the acquisition of knowledge. It is my desire to help students to realize their full potential by providing an en-abling environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment, (1) the lecturer as facilitator, (2) allowing a student’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, and (3) promoting mutual respect. For me, teach-ing provides an opportunity for continual learn-ing and growth. One of my hopes is to instil a sense of curiosity in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them.

• Dr. Charles van der VyverFaculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology: School of Information Technology

Teaching philosophy:

With both my undergraduate and postgradu-ate students I want to develop a love for a new field, instead of just completing another course towards obtaining their degree. I believe this is achieved through the transfer of knowledge and skills, with new knowledge leading to new skills, and vice versa. On postgraduate level progress is monitored through the practical demonstration of the newly acquired skills, whereas with the undergraduates the empha-sis tends to be slightly more towards the ob-taining of new knowledge. I am to present high quality sessions, to such a degree that stu-dents do not want to miss it for anything.

9 July 2012 11CAMPUS NEWS

Scientific community must lead march for sustainabilityThe Global Young Academy (GYA) issued a statement on 20 June 2012, in Berlin, Germa-ny; calling for the scientific community to do more on promoting global sustainability. “The problem is not science, it is leadership”, said GYA co-chair Rees Kassen.

Members of the GYA, many of whom came of age between the first Earth Summit in 1992, and the Rio+20 in June 2012, see an urgen-cy in sustainability. “We are the inheritors of the decisions being made over the next three days”, said GYA co-chair Bernard Slippers, “so we have a vested interest in charting the way forward”.

The ‘Sandton Declaration’ makes it clear that sometimes scientists are their own worst en-emy. Reward structures in science often dis-courage or even punish public engagement and outreach. “This must change”, Kassen says. The declaration calls on the scientific community to revise its reward structures to value knowledge mobilization by scientists themselves. It also encourages scientists to take a more active role in promoting the use of scientific evidence in decision-making and encouraging inquiry-based science education in schools and universities.

For more information:Bernard Slippers, GYA co-chair (South Africa); Bernard.Slippers@up.ac.za, tel: +27-12-420-2463

Rees Kassen, GYA co-chair (Canada); rees.kassen@uottawa.ca, tel: +1 613 562-5800 x6978Heidi Wedel, GYA Managing Director (Germa-ny); wedel@bbaw.de, tel: +49 30 20370 631

Learn more at: http://www.globalyoungacad-emy.net

The Global Young Academy, founded in 2010, is the voice of young scientists around the world. Members are chosen for their demon-strated excellence in scientific achievement and commitment to civil society. Currently there are 172 members from 54 countries.

9 July 201212 CAMPUS NEWS

Sustainability: The GYA WayTwenty years ago, the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development inspired a gen-eration of young people to take up the global challenge of forging pathways to sustainability. Many of those who did are now emerging sci-entific leaders whose research programs are dedicated to understanding and discovering solutions to this challenge. These leaders are represented in the Global Young Academy.

On the cusp of Rio+20, we stand in a unique position as inheritors of the world that was promised in 1992. Having come of age in the lead-up to Rio+20, we, the Global Young Acad-emy, now add our voice to that of the estab-lished stakeholders from the scientific commu-nity. We are moved to do so by the deep-seated belief of the necessity to chart a vastly different course of action for our global society over the next twenty years.

The Global Young Academy recognizes the vi-tal role that scientific and technological innova-tion will continue to play as we advance toward sustainability. It is now, and must continue to be, a central component of a sustainable fu-ture. Yet, lack of scientific knowledge is not the immediate impediment to progress. Though we have much to learn, we have learnt enough in the last twenty years to take action.

The aspirations that emerged from Rio have not been matched by commensurate actions, with the dangerous consequence that sus-tainability is now more distant than ever. We acknowledge the complexity of the situation in a multi-stakeholder world with different, sometimes opposing, interests. Nonetheless, current trajectories must be reversed immedi-ately. Here, we offer three means for scientists to accelerate progress towards a sustainable future.

First, all scientists, whether academic, govern-ment, or industry-based, must actively engage with civil society and decision-makers to con-vey the urgency of the global challenges that

lay before us. The GYA will support efforts to bring scientific evidence to bear directly on the policy and decision-making processes. By mo-bilizing scientific knowledge we will also help communities understand how their choices may hinder or accelerate progress toward sus-tainable development goals.

Second, obstacles to initiating this dialogue must be overcome within the scientific commu-nity itself. The Global Young Academy recog-nizes scientific excellence as a prerequisite to having a credible voice in such discussion. Yet, we are concerned that metrics of success for scientists typically discourage public engage-ment and outreach. This must change. Public engagement must be valued, and not seen as something best left to others.

Third, we must foster scientific literacy in the broadest sense. The goal here is to ensure that citizens have the tools to engage in so-cietal debate and make informed choices re-garding the future of their communities. The Global Young Academy will work to transform scientific education from rote-learning to in-quiry-based problem solving, at all levels from kindergarten through post-secondary educa-tion. An inquiry-based approach will illustrate how scientific discoveries are made and how past evidence catalyzes them. More transpar-ency will build both public trust in scientific in-formation and capacity to weigh evidence sup-porting competing positions in the transition to sustainable development.

The world cannot spend another twenty years in further discussions about the path toward sustainability. Progress toward a sustainable future must accelerate, and it must be both in-clusive and enduring. The time for action, com-mensurate with the immediacy and diversity of sustainability challenges, is right now. The Global Young Academy believes that scien-tists, and science, are fundamental to realizing the goals of sustainability. Rio+40 must be a celebration of progress.

9 July 2012 ADVERTISEMENT 13

Please RSVP to johanna.ralekgokgo@nwu.ac.za or call 0169103314 before 3 August 2012.

9 July 2012ADVERTISEMENT14

Please RSVP to johanna.ralekgokgo@nwu.ac.za or call 0169103314 before 3 August 2012.

9 July 2012 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 15

Are you a real South African?Some time ago on Facebook, people started a checklist to find out if you are a real South Afri-can or not. There are 30 points, so I am going to present them in two parts.You are a real South African when:

1. A traffic cop stops you, but you pay R100 and get no ticket.One of us (we don’t want to say who) expiri-enced what this means. It’s simple; when they stop you, you have a nice chat and negotiate the price. When the decision is made, you shake hands and leave, with a greeting from the officer.

2. You can do your shopping on the side of the road.The difference here is, there is no pavement because people don’t walk. So instead, there are ‘businesses’ that are blooming on the sides of the roads. While you are waiting for the robot to change, you can buy anything from chips, shoes, tyres, coldrinks, to a chicken in a cage. If you don’t need anything, then you have one of two options:• You can say “no thank you” with a smile, but this is tricky, because he will try his best to sell you something.• From South African people, we learnt that you close the window, put music on and ignore the guy

3. You have to use the security services where ever you park.Everywhere you park your car, there is always a person who will try to help you find a parking spot, drive in, or drive out. He will watch your car while you are shopping, and ask for pay-ment afterwards.

4. Hi-jacking is a proffession.We can’t specify this (luckily it hasn’t happened to us), but it must be popular because there are a lot of signs on the roads saying “Hi-jack hot spot”.

5. You can pay for your studies by begging for money.On every corner you see people asking for money for something, and in most cases it works.

6. Petrol is more expensive than your car.We don’t have a car, but our friends keep on complaining about the price, everytime they have to use their cars. They wish they had a Flintstone car.

7. Beautiful and strange names.Christmas, Beauty, Wednesday, Treasure, Queen, Blessing; those are just some of them. We have already met Patience, Mona Lisa, Chanel and Precious; which are strange names for Europeans.

8. “Now now” can mean anything from a min-ute to a month.Before you enter South Africa, it is wise to know the difference between “now”, meaning right now, to a few minutes. “Now now” means that it will happen in the near future.Normal telephone conversation:• I’m coming over• Now?• No, not now. Now now.

9. Taxi Drivers are in charge of the roads.This specific transport is ‘privileged’ every-where. They can stop, drive, unload anywhere and all other drivers must be very careful. They also like to greet other taxi drivers with hooting, so if there are a couple of them in one spot, the other drivers pop a few headache pills, and calmly count to 100. Some times this is a per-fect time to do a little shopping on the side of the road.

Die ongelooflike avonture van Karolania8 June 2012

16 EVENTS 9 July 2012

July is a special month, not only to South Afri-cans, but to all people in the world who want to make a difference. It is during this month that we celebrate Mandela Day, 18 July; where each of us can make a small change in the world.

Nelson Mandela could have been talking to all of us, when he gave a speech to hospital work-ers on 16 April 1998: “Whether you change the linen or stitch up wounds, cook the food or dis-pense the medicines, it is in your hands to help build a public service worthy of all those who gave their lives for the dream of democracy.”

If you want to use your 67 minutes on a good cause; here are some activities that the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory is partnering with.

* Cheesekids - It’s Mandela Day activity has been branded Youth Revolution. It held an event on 16 June, namely a clean-up of four schools. Also in July, this organisation will have major Mandela Day activations in Johan-nesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Cheesekids creates a platform for public involvement. It uses the model of a central hub from which members of the public who have signed up are taken to various community service sites. Thousands of people are set to take part in Cheesekids’ July activities.

* Habitat for Humanity – This organisation's Mandela Day “Build Week” aims to build 67 houses. It will undertake Mandela Day house-

67 minutes closer to changebuilds in Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng (Orange Farm).

* Stop Hunger Now – This initiative will involve thousands of people in cities and towns around the country in preparing special food packs. The food packs are distributed to early learning centres in poor communities. Food distribution forms part of a broader programme of improv-ing facilities and management at these educa-re centres. Companies such as Pick ‘n Pay get involved and hundreds of their staff members will help with the packing sessions. Members of the public are also invited to participate.

* Meals on Wheels – This programme is en-

17EVENTS9 July 2012

couraging companies to support the elderly. Meals on Wheels' initiative is important be-cause there are an astonishing number of el-derly people from all population groups who live in awful circumstances.

* Joubert Park initiative by the Joubert Park Youth Outreach Project (NGO) – Their pro-gramme will include an exhibition, a lecture, a clean-up of a taxi rank, a Big Walk from Jou-bert Park to Constitutional Hill (symbolising the Long Walk to Freedom), and a day of fun for smaller kids.

* Book handovers – There will be several book handovers. For example, one book handover will be at a school in Alexandra and another to a school in Tsakane.

* The Drum Café – An interactive activity for about 80 learners will be hosted at the Drum Museum in Selby.

* Mandela Day container libraries – These libraries constitute one of the focal points of the campaign. The library initiative is linked to the DBE’s 94+ Schools Infrastructure Prohect. Before the end of June, several formal library “openings” will take place. The libraries pro-vide opportunities for members of the public to become involved; they can volunteer as librari-ans, assist with sorting of books and undertake reading activities with learners.

* Pick n Pay book collection – The retailer will place branded boxes at its stores to collect story books for children. These books will be distributed to schools in a way that boosts and supports the establishment of library facilities at schools. Collection will take place at all su-permarkets and hypermarkets nationally and a formal handover of books will take place in the last week of July.

* The Cyc-alive initiative – This initiative, which builds bridges across racial lines, in-volves high school learners travelling by bi-cycle from Johannesburg to Durban. It is or-ganised by the Torah Academy and involves Soweto's Pace and Moletsane schools.

* The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory – The centre will hold a colloquium on “Legacy and the State of the Archives in honour of Nel-son Rolihlahla Mandela” at the Nelson Man-dela Museum, Qunu on 17 and 18 July.

Those keen on following the progress and im-pact of Mandela Day should take note of the following planned activities.

* Other municipality-led community “clean-up” activities. All of South Africa's roughly 300 mu-nicipalities will be involved

* Community service by scores of companies that run year-round employee volunteer pro-grammes. In these initiatives, thousands of employees will donate their time at schools, homes of care and other community facilities

* Individuals undertaking work at crèches, old age homes and other places of care

* Campaigns by media agencies encouraging their readers/listeners/viewers to get involved.

Join the change

9 July 2012EVENTS18

As you may all remember, last month we cele-brated Youth Day on 16 June 2012. While some of you may have used the day to reflect on all that has happened, and changed throughout the years; others may have been studying, to use the freedom that was won, by making their lives a better one; or maybe some (if not all) stayed at home, slept late and didn’t do much at all.

The staff of the Vaal Campus got into the spirit of Youth Day on 15 June, by dressing up in their old school uniforms. You may have been confused thinking Platinum Press, and your lecture rooms were being over-run by high school students. Don’t worry, it was all in the name of fun, and to mark the day with happy memories!

Youth Day: Vaal Campus Style

It’s that time of the year again when you can say goodbye to tests, quizzes, tedious home-work, assignments, lectures, et cetera for a good three weeks. And simply catch up with family and old high school friends, and hope the last thing we do during winter vacation is sleep through it and wonder where time went. To avoid this, I’ve made some research on “what to do” during winter breaks… Fortunate-ly, I’ve found a few tip top ideas to share and how to earn extra cash/bucks during the winter vacation!!

1.Host a holiday Movie MarathonPrepare a spread of some holiday snacks (like the easy-to-make chocolate covered candy and pretzels). Pick up some holiday mov-ies and hang out in front of the TV with some friends. You can get ideas from movie lists of fun holiday classics and comedies. Hint: Though as far as I’m concerned, no holiday Movie Marathon would be complete without the new on screen movie Project X!!

2.Take on a Two-week creative projectYou know what feels darn good? Making something and actually finishing it. How about making an old-school zine, making a YouTube video set to your favorite song, painting your bedroom (with your parent’s permission of-course) or sewing a new tote bag.

3.Hang-out with class-only friendsI’m talking about the friendly people in your lectures, whom you haven’t gotten around to

Pondering Pearl... hanging out with outside campus. With your main pals on vacation, winter break is the per-fect time to bring a couple of new friends into the fold. Make some low-pressure plans like holiday shopping at the flea market or going out as a bunch.

4. VolunteerWhy not? Thanks to the holiday, you’ll already be in the giving spirit and with class out, you have no excuse not to give a little love to your community pet-shop.

5.Make a Ginger Bread houseAnd then eat it. Bonus points if you make it with your friends. Double-bonus points if you sing along to holiday jams while you work. (You don’t have anything against getting into the holiday spirit, do you?) Remember: It’s Christmas in July!

6.See how fit/strong you can get Try doing some easy strength–building exer-cise, or slightly harder ones, every other day of winter vacation. Balance it out with some jogging, some walking around or rather hitting the gym now and again (I hear Retro-aerobics’ 60’s is BACK)-really, anything besides sleep-ing or hanging around the house in your pa-jamas. By the time schools starts again, you’ll feel great.

Pearl MavundaA Million Miles Away From Normal

9 July 2012 PONDERING PEARL 19

9 July 2012SA NEWS20

Winnie Theletsane

The manSouth Africa’s former and first black president Nelson Ro-lihlahla Mandela celebrates his 94th birthday this year. Mr. Mandela, also known as Tata, was born in Transkei on July 18, 1918. He is of royalty from the Tembu tribe. Tata studied law at the University College of Fort Hare and completed it at the Witwatersrand University. He became a qualified lawyer in 1944 and started a law firm, alongside his University friend Oliver Tambo, which repre-sented Africans. He received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His love for politics began while he was a teenager.

The freedom fighterIt was that love for politics that persuaded him to join Tambo in starting the African National Congress (ANC) and fighting for freedom. Tata, amongst others, were in and out of pris-on and attending court cases in their struggle for freedom. But the Rivonia Trial was the biggest of them all; it resulted in Tata spending the historic 27 years in jail. He and other uMkhondo weSizwe members were charged with sabotag-ing and conspiring against the apartheid government. It was

Work your magicduring this trial where he gave one of his most memorable quotes: “The ideal of a demo-cratic society is one for which am prepared to die for”. He was released on the 11th of February 1990 and on the 27th of April 1994 South Africa had its first democratic elections and he became the first black president.

Why 67 minutesReleased from prison at the age of 67 is what inspired the idea of the Mandela day cam-

paign. He devoted 67 years of his life fighting for the freedom we have today, hence every year on his birthday we are edged to give only 67 minutes of our time doing charity work or serving the community to keep his legacy alive. Anything counts, be it volunteering to clean a school, planting a tree, caring for the elderly, donat-ing clothes or cooking for the disadvantaged. Use your 67 minutes and keep the Madiba magic alive.

9 July 2012 REVIEWS 21

OUT NOW 13 July 20 July

Sasha Baron Cohen has done it again. This time, he plays the oppressive leader, Hafez Ala-deen of the Republic of Wadi-ya, in Africa.

Plot SummaryThe movie follows Aladeen as he risks his life to ensure de-mocracy never comes to his country, and that the rich oil fields are not sold to foreign countries by his uncle Tamir.

What the critics sayDana Stevens; Slate: Most of The Dictator had me neither laughing nor shocked, but just staring at the screen in anxious is-that-all-there-is? silence.

The DicTaTorStephen Whitty; Newark Star-Ledger: For once, Baron Cohen has a real script and a supporting cast as skilled at im-prov as he is. And those com-plementary elements make a difference.Lou Lumenick; New York Post: It ends up being a lot less hilarious that “Borat”, and not quite as funny as “Bruno”.

Lisa Schwarzbaum; Enter-tainment Weekly: Baron Co-hen’s demonstrations of po-litical “outrageousness” feel all too canned, planned, and defanged.

With many mixed reviews; I

guess you will have to watch it and judge for yourself...

Watch if you liked: Ali G inda-house, Bruno, and Borat.

9 July 2012FREAKY FACTS22

Bonjour etudiants! (Hello students!) Now that the vacation is here, I have some freaky facts for you this month and some freaky facts about food for you to read through the vacation time.

The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you’ll have a bad dream.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

A cat's urine glows under a black light.

After eating too much, your hearing is less sharp

Dartboards are made out of horsehairs.

Men can read smaller print than women, wom-en can hear better than men.

In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals!

The vocabulary of the average person consists of 5,000 to 6,000 words

The average person falls asleep in seven min-utes.

Alliumphobia is the fear of garlics!

Here are some freaky facts that you may have not known about food for you! Bon Appetit!

The first soup was made of hippopotamus.

Pineapple is the international symbol of hos-pitality.

A pear ripens from the inside out.

Worcestershire sauce is made from dissolved fish.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil.

Baby mice wine is a traditional Chi-nese and Korean health tonic!

Baskin Robbins once made ketch-up-flavoured ice cream.

Broccoli is the food with the best anti-cancer prop-erties.

9 July 2012 FASHION 23

Fashion Forecast for the boysRight boys, it’s your turn to study the fashion article for this month. We all know that men are just as concerned with being in fashion, than just the ladies on this campus. So it’s time for the boys to go out on a shopping spree!

It’s time to get your swagger back with these four items, hot off the runway:

1. Hoodie with fur collar

2. Fur Hat

3. Army Boots

4. Blazer

P.S. Mix it up with your favourite jeans or cargo pants, and hit the streets!

Yours TrulyChontelez Jacobs

9 July 2012PROFILE24

Lerato Lempe

Getting to know: Anna-Marie van Der Elst

Starting off as a teacher, Anna-Marie van Der Elst worked her way up the corporate ladder. She is currently the Head of Finance on our campus, and recently shared her secrets to success…

1. What is your current position and for how long have been working here?Head of Finance and I’ve been working here since 2006.

2. What made you choose this career?I’ve always been interested in finance and the business psychometric test even showed it.

3. What skills are vital to work in this field?You must be very responsible, be very particu-lar with details and always know your facts.

4. What has been your biggest work related challenge?Trying to make all ends meet, which is very dif-ficult at times because of the limited funds and time. Keeping everybody happy can be very difficult.

5. What has been your career highlight?Being where I am today. I started off as a teacher, and I climbed the corporate ladder by working for companies like ABSA & CANON. Being in my current position is my highlight.

6. What do you most enjoy about your job?The operational side of finance like solving things and reconciliation.

7. What does a typical day at work entail?You must always plan your day. So you first start off by checking your e-mails, then check the deadlines you have to meet, then do the operational things. But nothing ever goes the way you planned #giggles.

8. What challenges did you face when you first started in this field and how did you overcome them?

Knowing nothing about bursaries and the op-eration systems. I overcame this by starting off at the bottom, and started learning and under-standing the systems, policies and procedures of finance.

9. What achievements are you most proud of?From being a junior employee to being the Head of Finance, with more responsibilities. Putting the finance department on the map because it is currently the strongest contender amongst the others.

10. What is the secret of your success?Being humble even though you’ve achieved a lot. Sticking to the facts and doing your job.

11. Which individuals have had an impact in your life and why?My father because he taught me the basic prin-ciples in life. Nelson Mandela; he is the awe of humankind and my son shares a birthday with him which is a bonus.

12. How would you describe your personal style?Straight forward, honest and my personal-ity helps gets along with people; and I always support my staff – “we work hard, but when we play, we play harder”

13. How do you unwind after a long dayA nice cold glass of wine and half-an-hour of some peace and quite.

14. What’s your personal motto?“Always do your best”

9 July 2012 SPORT 25

The NWU Vaal women’s A hockey team felt a sense of disappointment as they felt they de-served more in their match against the Wan-derers hockey club at VUT’s Astroturf after drawing 1-1 on the 3rd of June 2012.

Wanderers played a very defense-orientated game as they frustrated NWU Vaal with their physical play. NWU Vaal had numerous shouts for penalties which were left on deaf ears by the referee as NWU Vaal couldn’t unlock Wan-derers’ defense. Chrizé had a good game for NWU Vaal as she was at the heart of each at-tack. Stef Muteba ably assisted her in feed-ing passes to Janine Hundermark, but Janine struggled to make much headway against the defensive tactics of Wanderers.

NWU Vaal didn’t stick to their passing game-play as this cost them when a loose pass got intercepted; leading to a one-on-one situation with the NWU goalie that Wanderers took full advantage of by scoring the opening goal of the match. The score stayed the same at half time as Wanderers incredibly had the advan-tage even though that had little possession of the ball.

A similar scenario unfolded in the second half for NWU Vaal as they dominated possession without having any luck in front of goal. There seemed to be some indecisiveness as NWU Vaal wasted numerous opportunities through some tactical errors lack of composure in front of goal. Chances were few and far between for Wanderers as they were content to defend their one goal advantage.

This mentality eventually backfired as NWU Vaal finally found the key to unlock there de-

Women’s A-team held 1-1 draw against WanderersWouter Pienaar

fense as a beautiful through ball from Vlooi Janse van Vuuren gave Janine the opportunity to score which she duly took with an unstop-pable shot. One could sense the relief as these ladies deserved a goal after all the effort. In-credibly, NWU Vaal had a final chance to pull off a victory but Chrizé’s shot lacked compo-sure as it flew over the goal. The 1-1 scoreline wasn’t a fair reflection of the match as NWU Vaal could’ve easily won the game as they dominated every aspect of the game. Unfortu-nately, at the end of the day it is the scoreline that determines the outcome.

9 July 2012SPORT26

Wouter Pienaar

NWU Vaal men’s hockey succumb to late equaliser

“It’s like kissing your sister”. This was the view from most of the players from the NWU Vaal mens hockey team after they shared the spoils with Vanderbijlpark hockey club in a 1-1 draw at Isak Steyl Stadium (VUT) recently.

The contest started with NWU Vaal gaining most of the possession in the first ten minutes without any real success, as Vanderbijlpark stood firm in defense. It took a great run from “Torres” on the right wing as his cross gave a clear opening for NWU Vaal to stroke the ball into the goal for a 1-0 lead. NWU Vaal could have extended their lead even further if it had not been for some excellent goalkeeping from the opposition goalkeeper who stood as firm as a rock in front of goal.

Vanderbijlpark did go close though just before the half time break with a shot fizzing past the goal in the dying second of the first half. The teams then went into the break knowing that there was still more to be done, as both teams needed to improve in the second half – NWU Vaal’s passing was lacking impetus, while Vanderbijlpark needed to take their chances in front of goal to avoid defeat.

The second half began with Vanderbijlpark playing with renewed vigour as they tested the NWU Vaal goalie forcing him into a good save from a penalty corner. Ferdi, one of NWU Vaal defenders had an excellent game at the back as snuffed Vander-bijlpark’s attackers on numerous times. NWU Vaal cap-tain Thabiso More-moholo also had a good game in mid-field directing play as the link between attack and defense.

The match became a bit scrappy in the 2nd half as NWU Vaal gave away too much need-less possession to Vanderbijlpark, with the lat-ter struggling to capatalise. The best chance of the second half fell to NWU Vaal, but they somehow missed with the shot just clearing the crossbar. It was inches away from securing a 2-0 lead. NWU Vaal continued to pepper the Vanderbijlpark goalie who returned the favour with some amazing saves.

Vanderbijlpark’s determination was typified by their goalie whose saves kept them in the game. This proved crucial as Vanderbijlpark struck back and equilised with the last shot of the game, just when it seemed that NWU Vaal had done enough to win. A swift counter-attack left NWU Vaal exposed in midfield, as a jubilant Vanderbijlpark celebrated like they had won the match. This is sport and hockey at its finest as this match had drama which could’ve been part and parcel of a Hollywood-script.

9 July 2012 SPORT 27

On Saturday the 2nd of June 2012, NWU Vaal Rugby club hosted Wits (University of the Wit-watersrand) in a highly anticipated Predator league fixture. The first and second team had to take it on the chin as they both slumped to defeats, although in vastly different fashions. The second team got whitewashed 35-0, while the 1st team fought bravely before succumb-ing to a 34-36 defeat at the hand of the recent Varsity Shield winners.

Wits are the 2012 Varsity Shield, which is the second tier of university rugby in South Africa. As winners they will play in Varsity Cup against the likes of UJ and UCT. On the back of these achievements, they appeared on our campus’ rugby fields full of confidence. The 2nd team played their match first with the game kicking off at 14:30, while the highly anticipated clash of the titans between both first teams would start at 16:00.

NWU Second TeamWits 2nd team started like a house on fire as they displayed some impressive attacking in-tent early on. It took a massive hit from hooker Danie Janse van Rensburg to stop their mo-mentum as they finally lost possession of the ball. Wits’ superiority at the breakdown and on attack was evident when they scored the first try after stealing a ball at the break-down. Wits then added a second try minutes later after a maraud-ing “Pierre Spies” like run from their eigthman set up their winger for an easy try under the posts.

The Wits players were running the NWU Vaal ragged as they had no

NWU Vaal Rugby at ‘Wits’ endWouter Pienaar answer to the skill of Wits’ players. It was a

tough time for NWU Vaal’s backline as some poor tackling lead to Wits scoring three more unanswered tries and a 35-0 victory. It was a truly dominant display as spirit was high in Wits’ camp. Could their 1st team replicate this performance against our boys? It was now time to find out.

NWU First TeamWits kicked off the match with NWU Vaal gain-ing first possession of the ball. NWU Vaal looked up for this one as they managed to threaten in attack while also keeping Wits at bay in the first 5 minutes of the match. Wits eventually opened the scoring after a great backline move created a try for one of their in-side center. Not to be outdone, Andre Anker then put NWU Vaal on the scoreboard with a try of his own to leave the scores at 7-7 after 10 minutes of play.

One of the highlights of NWU Vaal’s attacking game was their lineouts as locks Rudi Rauten-bach and Pieter Louwrens rose like giants in the air to ensure possession for the home team. This good work seemed to be outdone, as Wits dominated at the rucks, which lead to

9 July 2012SPORT28

them scoring a “soft” try. The next try also went to Wits as the lack of first time tackled cost NWU Vaal dearly. The ensuing conversion was missed which left the score at 22-10 in Wits favour at the half time interval.

NWU Vaal had to dig deep in the 2nd half to chalk up their third win of the season after they had lost and drawn their two previous games. NWU Vaal started brightly in the 2nd half as they closed the gap after a penalty from Jaques du Plooy. Wits immediately nullified any chance of momentum as they scored an-other try minutes later to leave the score at 29-13 in their favour. The game was now played at a frantic pace as NWU Vaal answered back with a try from scrumhalf Johan van Rooyen. Van Rooyen took a quick tap that took the Wits players by surprise as he sneaked over the try-line.

Ill discipline was costing NWU Vaal as a num-ber of yellow cards put them on the back foot in the latter stages of the second half. Wits capa-talised on this as they extended their lead to 16 points after another try. This would be the last time that Wits would get on the scoreboard as a resurgent NWU Vaal scored two more tries in the final 10 minutes in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. The first of these tries were truly special as a great solo effort from JP Labus-chagne gave NWU Vaal some hope. The cel-ebration was also special with Labuschagne executed a swan dive over the tryline, much to the delight of his teammates.

There is much heart to be taken from NWU Vaal’s performance, especially in the final 20 minutes of the second half, as they showed that they can compete against the best that the league has to offer.

9 July 2012 SPORT 29

The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions held for representatives of vari-ous city-states of Ancient Greece held in honor of Zeus. The exact origins of the Games are shrouded in myth and legend but records indi-cate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia in Greece. The first Games held under the aus-pices of the IOC was hosted in the Panathe-naic stadium in Athens in 1896. These Games brought together 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 events.

In modern times it has become a prestigious event, where athletes from all over the world descend in one country to prove their worth. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world’s foremost sports competition and more than 200 nations participate. The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented.

South Africa will be one of the many countries fighting for the illustrious Gold medals. With over 140 competitors in 18 sports, they will all be vying for the top spot. Have a lookout on the SuperSport channels and SABC 2, to cheer for our ladies and gentlemen of the 2012 Summer Olympics!

The Fight for GoldKinga Siejek

9 July 2012CALENDER30