UWC Sport Newsletter

EXCELLENCE THROUGH SPORT

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Pg2 - Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development & Support

South Africa clinches London Olympic Games ticket Flic en Flac, Mauritius, April 15, 2012- South Africa Men’s Beach Volleyball team secured their qualification ticket to 2012 London Olympic Games following their ground breaking victory over Angola in the final of the CAVB Continental Cup held here at Flic en Flac Beach in Mauritius on Sunday.

The African champions have become the first country in the world to qualify to the prestigious event through the Continental Cup which showed 39 African countries participating during the continental phases of the FIVB Competition.

The first match of the final between South Africa and Angola, team 1 of RSA Freedom Chiya/Grant Goldschmidt took over Angola’s Abreu/Silva. The South African pair from the University of the Western Cape came out with a bang reaching the technical time out with a score of 14-7. The injury of Abreu looked affected Angola. South Africa took the first set 21-12.

At the start of the second set the crowd got scared when Chiya went down with a groin injury. The medical timeout was all that this team needed and quickly got back into the game. Angola was unable to side out which led to their loss 21-11.

Angola came back in the second match to lead early. South Africa’s Fredricks/Williams had some trouble and they didn’t let the game get away with few defensive points. Eden and Marcio Sequiera went through to win the first set 21-15.

The second set was neck to neck. Players are having a hard time with the heat. Angola had to take an early medical team timeout from the sun. Rallies continue to set the pace for the game, both teams working hard to keep the ball off the sand. It was tied right up to the end but Angola etched out on top. Making this a thrilling finals and wining the second set 21-18.

South Africa continued their upper hand to win the match after a great fight to win the match and grab the Olympic ticket.

Pg3 - Sport

Pg4 - Residence Administration

Pg4 - Center for Student Support Services

UWC CRICKET HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES It is quite possible that some of you are quite accustomed to hearing about how ‘good’ the UWC Cricket club is [especially after another fantastic season] but let’s try to put it into perspective.

Cricket is one of the ‘Big Three’ sporting codes in South Africa [with rugby and football] and this undoubtedly means bigger budgets, more exposure, and definitely more competition and pressure. Many of the most talented and driven athletes in our country are making tremendous efforts to achieve the highest levels in cricket as the rewards are great. In Western Province we have 64 active league playing clubs, playing in 18 leagues, from 1A down to 3E. st The UWC 1 XI, for the second time in four years, has won the 1A league and 1-Day Championships [effectively the double] against this backdrop! In nd rd addition the 2 and 3 sides won their respective leagues. Very important st as they are the ‘feeder’ for our 1 XI in the future!

And in case you think that those top players are one-dimensional ‘jocks’, note that a requirement of the club is that all the players must be passing in the relevant courses that they are studying. In fact the average marks of the UWC cricket players are above that of the university average! The players are strictly monitored with regard to university studies, and receive assistance when encountering difficulty in this regard and other areas that affect the wellbeing of the student. It has resulted in the team not only being successful on the field, but a group that has become disciplined and focused on achieving an ideal balance to be successful in all endeavours undertaken.

UWC Cricket does not hold on to players after graduation, so we are proud to say as well that there are a number of a players that are currently playing for other franchises around the country, including Rowan Richards for the Titans, and Gurshwin Rabie and Bevan Bennett for the Warriors. And the physio for the Lions is also one of our products, Craig Govendor! Some of our ex players, notably Victor Chaitezvi, are currently overseas having being awarded academic scholarships for post-grad studies!

The accolades that the club is reveling in at the moment are no doubt the results of hard work done over a long period of time, so we have to acknowledge Sports Skills for Life Skills, [who have appointed Head Coach Andy Moles, the ex New Zealand national coach], Sports Administration and all support coaching staff. So yes, the achievements are there, but there has been a massive amount of work done behind the scenes!

No doubt, this is one high-achieving club that whole the university community, including the alumni that put the building blocks in place, should be extremely proud of!

Student Leadership Academy Celebrates Mandela Day The Student Leadership Academy of the Centre for Student Support Services joined in the campus- wide celebrations of Mandela Month starting with the Rector’s rousing speech on the 13 July urging us to THINK - ACT - INITIATE CHANGE. On Mandela’s birthday on 18 July, members of the University of the Western Cape visited the Kensington Old Aged Home, where they cleared and planted in the garden, spent time engaging with residents, provided hand massages and performed Karaoke songs! Students and various UWC departments worked together proving the magic of collaborative efforts.

On Friday the 22 July a delegation of student leaders from UWC attended a Mandela Day Leadership Symposium hosted by the Van Zyl Slabbert Leadership Institute .

Later, on the Friday, Tonia Overmeyer facilitated a discussion at the Sports is more than Sports, series where leadership themes are unpacked after the screening of a movie. In line with Mandela Month, the movie Invictus was screened.

On the 23 July, the Emerging and Advanced Leaders celebrated the completion of their 1st semester’s work and in line with the rector’s call, they considered the changes they were able to initiate this year.

Below: Students are eager to be snapped with Rector outside Kensington Old Aged Home

Women in Leadership visit UWC leaders The Women in Leadership students from the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert Leadership Institute at Stellenbosch University visited our Leadership Academy in September this year.

The purpose of the visit was to learn best practices from some of the departments and student structures at UWC. The Women in Leadership students listened to presentations from the offices of Institutional Advancement, Student Governance, and Residence and Catering Services. Students from Golden Key International Honours Society, PMP, SIFE, Konneckt8, the Sports Council and RAG also presented their projects at the event.

The general observation of the event was a very positive feedback from both the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University students. Students also commented that their general observation of the event “very informative”, and “something that should be done more often”.

PMP contributes to Student Development and Support – even the Minister-President thinks so!

Verushka Daniels, Academic Support Coordinator of the CSSS, and mentors of the Peer Mentoring Program engaged with the Flemish Minister-President on the significant role that mentoring plays to support first years in their academic, personal and social adjustment to academic life.

The mentors gave account of how the program has benefitted from the support and interest of VLIR, and provided a brief display of how our PMP aligns its practices with UWC Institutional Operational Plan, and the charter of graduate attributes.

The speech delivered by the Minister-President made a call to students to embrace lifelong learning and to extend their ways of thinking to the rest of Africa, and ultimately the rest of the world.

Find out more about our PMP by contacting us at the Centre for Student Support Services or the Cassinga Office, call 021 – 959 2299 or email us at lmallie@uwc.ac.za.

UWC PREPARES FOR THE YELLOW PAGES SUMMER SERIES ATHLETIC TOURNAMENT: Article by Edgar Nuwagaba The yellow pages summer series track and field tournament is a pre-season tournament which Athletic South Africa a.k.a ASA in conjunction with yellow pages directory created in order to prepare athletes for the coming seasonal athletic competitions. The event has been contested at every summer in December since the inception of its birth in 2009.

The yellow pages summer series traces its earliest roots to odd athletic events such as the 60m race, the 150m race, 300m, 3000msteepchase, 600m and the 1m race, among other events. This competition comprises of track and field events including long jump, triple jump and the high jump.

The competitions are held every December summer festive season in Port Elizabeth in conjunction with Stellenbosch, Oudtshoorn and usually ends in Parow.

As the pioneers of the yellow pages summer series competitions, the University of the Western Cape club is already looking forward to build on recent athletes’ performances and times in order to reach the ultimate goal of achieving Olympic qualification standard. Athletic South Africa together with the assistance of the hosting provinces is in charge of organising the summer series and is yet to announce the dates for the opening event.

Brent Stevens of UWC made the record in the 2011 summer series when he won the Male athlete of the series. Brent dominated the 60m and the 150m race and he only missed the World indoor qualifiers by 4 split seconds. Brent also formed part of the UWC relay team that dominated in all meets.

Brent was the face of the 2011 summer series.

Mandela Rhodes Scholars 4 t h annual conference – with hard work we can do it!

The Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars (CMRS) held their annual conference at Stellenbosch University this year. Bongeka Jasoni, a member of our Advanced Leaders Program at the Centre for Student Support Services, shares her impression: “The Mandela Rhodes Scholar Symposium was held at Stellenbosch University. It was an opportunity for young people to engage around global and universal transformation

The yellow pages summer series represents an opportunity for athletes to stake a claim for the yellow pages prize of about R200 000 cash which is shared by athletes who post-Olympic A standard qualifying performances during the yellow pages sponsored-events on the ASA summer series events. Brent walked away as the prize winner of the 2011 competitions.

Rodwel Ndlovu of UWC dominated the 300m race. At the yellow pages summer series, his relatively personal best improved when he made a time of 33.87s and he formed part of the UWC relay team that dominated in all meets.

Last year at the yellow pages, though it seemed rare for athletes to compete in and dominate both the track and field event, while comparisons were made to UWC and Stellenbosch and though she had a sloppy start, Bernice of UWC got back into the game and podiumed in the remaining meets as she was the key athlete of the UWC relay team. She is one of the fastest sprinters in the 60m race.

In what could be described as the longest jump of the yellow pages competitions, Nicole broke the record when she podiumed in all summer series in both the long jump and triple jump making a personal best of 5,31 in the long jump. She thus formed part of the women’s relay team.

Following the world student games and having had a brilliant season, Stacey Gardener of UWC was remarkable and she was earmarked as one of the favourites to dominate the summer series but with the hamstring injury that he sustained in Oudtshroorn, she had to watch the remainder of the series from the stand.

Stacey is still off season due to the injury.

While Anrich placed third in the P.E 300m race, Jody came second in the 600m. Both formed the key athletes of the men’s relay team. Anrich placed eighth in the 400m.

UWC junior athlete Clyde Ruiters, dominated the summer series high jump when he podiumed in all competitions in the high jump event with a height of 2.07m.

UWC surprise of the meet at the summer series to set foot on track and field was Duwayne Phillander when he finished second in the 1500m. Duwayne continued to turn heads after he claimed the third place in the 800m and he further finished third place in the street mile.

International athletes from other countries also come to compete in the yellow pages summer series. The event is televised nationally. The summer series also features on super sport and at press conferences.

When contacted about what he feels about the 2012 summer series, UWC athletics coach Mr Jerome Walters responded, “We are conditioning our athletes to raise the bar and defend last year’s record and are looking forward to win all the events.”

University of the Western Cape athletics club forms part of the best eight athletics clubs in the country.

UWC athletics manager and Coach Mr Jerome Walters and the UWC athletics club executive under the guidance of Chairperson Mr Hadley Volkwyn, selected a team that participated in the 2011 yellow pages summer series.

For more information, Please contact Mr Jerome Walters 0731571755,

jwalters@uwc.co.za

UWC athletes Jody Isaacs and Anrich Vissa both coming out of injuries competed extremely well in last years summer series.

through education. Mr Ravi Naidoo, gave an inspiring talk about how we can mobilize ourselves and stake holders in assisting with meaningful causes that serve a purpose.

His talk was just to help us realise that the answers that we seek we can derive from within us once we have come to a realisation that we can do all things through hard work and determination”.

Amanda Ndlovu, member of the Emerging Leaders Program at the CSSS, also reflected on her attendance: “Participating in the

Mandela Rhodes event was a phenomenal experience. It was lovely to be engaged with my peers on important matters we face in this country. I would definitely recommend that next year more students participate in this event as it was worth the trip and friends were made!”

series designed for SRC structure affiliates.

It is clear that the student leaders are

This Workshop Series is designed to facilitate

enthusiastic about their leadership

skills development and to build leadership

development. One commented, “I am excited

capacity within affiliate structures.

about the amount of growth and change this workshop has inspired,” Participants will need

Some of the key areas that participants enjoyed during the training were Goal Setting, Planning and Implementation, the Executive Roles Clarification, and Conducting

Project

Debriefing. One participant commended the workshop by commenting, “This training was beneficial especially in the clarification of roles

to practise their learning within their organisations and translate that into benefits for their constituent communities. We have great expectations in this regard, in light of this participant’s comment: “I benefited from the topics discussed and feel better prepared to deal with students.”

and in explaining the constitution.” While another participant’s statement was affirmative,

This collaboration targets the UWC Graduate

“great training, it was presented exceptionally

Attribute which encourages our students to

well and the presenters were very

become critical citizens and agents of social

On the 03 March 2012, Leadership and Social

knowledgeable about the topics and answered

good in the communities in which they serve.

Responsibility, Centre for Student Support

all questions.” Winston Erasmus, the SRC

The Leadership and Social Responsibility

Services (CSSS) together with the Student

Affiliates Officer played a huge role in inputting

Department is looking forward to working

Governance Office and the Student

the design, facilitating a segment of the

together with our partners for the duration of

Representative Council (SRC) hosted the first

programme and ensuring participation of

2012 academic year in shaping our student

training, The Strategy Planning Process, in a

affiliate structures.

leadership.

SRC AFFILIATES embrace the STRATEGY PLANNING PROCESS

Leading the Way: Restorative Justice on Residence “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN RCS proudly launched the Standardsfor Community Living Document which espouses the principles of Restorative Justice and sets out the process for dealing with transgressions on UWC residences using the restorative justice approach. Restorative justice is a problem solving approach which focusses on repairing the harm causes by the transgression whilst giving the victim a voice in deciding how the harm should be repaired. This approach requires both the victim and the transgressor to be willing participants in the process and more importantly for the transgressor to acknowledge his or her guilt and be willing to take responsibility for his or her actions.

On a rainy Friday, 30st March 2012 the Rezlife office organised a public launch at the Oval cricket ground. We were proud to have the Deputy Vice Rector for Student Development and Support Professor Lullu Tshiwula in attendance. Her inspiring speech gave the students an overview of the Restorative Justice Approach as well as the importance of the Standards for Community Living Document. Stanley Henkeman from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation was also invited as a guest speaker and we were honoured to have the attendance of Cecil Esau at the event. The President of the SRC, Chrispin Phiri as well as the Chairperson of the CHC, George Korope gave messages of support

for the implementation of the restorative justice approach on residences.

We are proud to say that once again UWC leads the way towards using innovative and creative ways of developing students, managing transgressions and ensuring that we get the best from our students. As we transform UWC residences into living and lear ning communities we recognise the importance of creating an enabling environment where Human Rights is respected and justice and fairness is valued and upheld. Written by Faeza Khan, Academic Support Coordinator, Reslife Office.

National Career Service Survey places UWC careere office and graduates at the top In 2011, the South African Graduate Recruiters Association (SAGRA) conducted a national survey among their members of career services at higher education institutions. The respondents were drawn from the engineering-manufacturing, banking-finance, auditing, businessmanagement, IT, law, retail and sales sectors. The aim of the survey was to provide constructive feedback to the university career offices in order to encourage conversations regarding their service delivery and future strategies.

Seventeen (40%) of the 42 surveyed companies actively targeted the University of the Western Cape as part of their graduate recruitment strategy. The primary reasons for targeting our campus were that we offer employers their target qualifications, have a richly diverse student population, our ideal location, the quality of our students and our excellent career services offer them value for money. Most employers who targeted UWC made use of our three Career Xpos, advertised in our ‘Career Update’ magazine, did career presentations for students and are very satisfied with the range of career services. A glowing evaluation of our career services was made: The support provided by our career service was rated as “excellent” or “above average” Employers were satisfied with the turnaround times for requests to our careers office.

Employers reported that our career office is very proactive in

SIFE kicks off 2012 on a high note

communicating its services.

Our career office was reported as being flexible about unusual or “out of the box” requests from employers and do their best to accommodate them.

Employers have confidence that they can rely on our enthusiastic career service team for their marketing requests to students.

Employers are very happy with our Career Xpos and company presentations.

Most employers are of the view that the relationship between the career service and students is excellent.

Employers are very happy that the career services to students are useful in preparing them for graduate recruitment.

The majority of employers support the view that UWC career services are relevant in their strategy and approach.

UWC students have a definite “strength” when it comes to demonstrating an appreciation of different cultures.

The overall feedback of the UWC career services is very good. There is a definite need for all tertiary students to be exposed to work readiness or employability training and/or workshops. On asking Nazrana Parker, Career Development Programme Coordinator, what motivates her in her work she replied “the feedback we receive from graduates who have utilised our services and thereby are successful in joining graduate trainee programmes at leading companies inspires me to continue seeking more avenues of employment for our graduates. The support and resources provided by Centre for Student Support Services has contributed towards ours successful Career Development Programme.”

recruited volunteers to assist with the sale of the bins. on 3 March 2012 was to provide a networking opportunity between

The SIFE UWC team at CSSS has been hard at work since the start of

fellow SIFERS from different chapters as well as share best practice

the academic year. A number of exciting activities have taken place

methods for improved means of project delivery and implementation

including the development of 2 new projects. The first of which is the

in line with the SIFE focus on People, Planet and Profit. It was also an

IBIZ project which focuses on teaching entrepreneurial and financial

opportunity for teams to train new members on the vision and purpose

literacy skills to learners at various primary schools in the community.

of SIFE. Preparing for the training required the executive team to work

In addition there is a project in partnership with Tehillah Community

together with executive members of other regional SIFE chapters as

Collaborative utilises the skills and resources of the organisation to

well as the National office, requiring a great deal of coordination and

focus on the development of financial planning and commercial

planning. The feedback from the training was full of praise for the SIFE

gardening.

UWC team.

There has also been a rework of the highly successful Greening the Bush initiative. As part of the reworked concept we have launched the Love Your Planet campaign to raise awareness regarding environmentalism and environmental issues. The Love Bins was sold around Valentine’s Day to both students and departments at the university. In addition to generating income for their projects, the team developed their entrepreneurial skills through this endeavour. Members of the executive team involved developed a marketing campaign for the project, secured partnerships and sponsors for the campaign and

UWC VOLLEYBALL CLUB NEWS 1. BEACH VOLLEYBALL Two of the UWC Ladies Volleyball players were selected to represent South africa at the Zone Vi Junior Beach Volleyball Competition that took place from 21 - 25 March in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Prudence Layters and Bejancke Della; both pursuing a BA degree; did exceptionally well and manage to walk away with the gold medals.

They are well on their way to qualify for the Junior World Championship that will take place in Canada from 29 August to 2 September.

UWC Alumni, Grant Goldschmidt is also well on his way to qualify for the London Olympics after him and partner Freedom Chiya has managed to win all their qualifying rounds thus far.

2. INDOOR The UWC Volleyball teams recently took part in the USSA Volleyball competition that took place from 1 - 5 April in Pretoria. UWC ladies surprised everyone by winning the reigning champions VUT and therefore becoming the new USSA Champions.

The Men ended 6th.

Six of the ladies and two men were selected to represent South Africa at the CUCSA Games that will take place in Namibia from 16 - 20 July.