on Campus Issue 1 • April 2014 • For daily updates visit www.uwc.ac.za
Inside Construction company builds partnership with UWC page 3
New equipment aids students with disabilities page 4
Massive facelift for uwc stadium page 12
UWC swimmers triumph page 15
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11-year-old drummer boy studies at UWC
Daniel Petersen, 11, has become South Africa’s youngest university student.
Y
oung — but already acclaimed — drummer Daniel Petersen made history when the 11-year old registered for and started classes at UWC in February, becoming the youngest university student in South Africa. Petersen made his way to the University’s classrooms for the first time recently, joining the Centre for Performing Arts. Music means everything to him, says Petersen. So to pursue his dream of becoming a top drummer or musical director, he needs to learn as much he can, he adds.
Like most other boys his age, he enjoys chatting to his friends, and also plays water polo and squash. “Everyone, if they work hard, can achieve anything,” he says. “You have to put in the hours. If you don’t practise you can’t be number one.” It’s no surprise that music is in Petersen’s genes. His father played jazz drums professionally, and his grandfather was a musical director. But he may already have surpassed them. Petersen has taken to the stage alongside the King of Pop’s drummer, met Stevie
Wonder’s daughter, played at the famed New Orleans Jazz Festival (when he was six!), and performed at Madiba’s 90th, 93rd and 95th birthday celebrations, and at a fundraiser for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. His schedule for this year includes touring with four international artists and going to New Orleans again, he also has gigs lined up in Russia and Las Vegas. Petersen still has bigger dreams, though. He counts Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus among the superstars he would like to perform with.