Hola MaHigh-School - September 2022

Applications

We are getting to end of year activities now. The pace is increasing and the pressure is on.

It is not just grade 12 who can feel it. It may be fine to cruise a bit because, hey, I am in grade 10 and grade 11 is secured.

It is possible to start the job search now. It is possible to look at how the universities and colleges

select candidates. It is possible to prepare.

Some applications are rather ‘mechanical’. Attention to detail is the key word. Don’t be sloppy!

But if you are looking for a job, there are more ways of making an impression and being in the running.

That is why we also look at unsolicited proposals. Read on and see if this could fit your goals.

Of course we have a tribute to the Queen (and there was really only one Queen!).

One thing that is close to our shores is looked at: Malaria - the big killer. There is hope now.

... and a lot of fun stuff: music, film, a giggle and loads of things.

Good read!

and

WE

are the

Contributors

Want to be a contributor? Wanting to write like a pro?

You CAN!

look firther and see how you can become one.

... and it is a good feeling to entertain and inform.

Masiziba Hadebe is doing her Master’s Agri cultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS). She is driven to make a change and is a passionate volunteer for community projects. She loves reading and writing about science, agriculture and anything in between. She believes you can wear a smile whatever the weather!

I am Marcia Ramodike from Limpopo Tzaneen at lenyenye. I am an author when not studying. I am passionate about writing and i live to give hope and wish to change the world. I love reading and in most of my time i write. My favourite book is ‘Her Mothers Hope by Francine Rivers.

And we are honoured to also have industry-views from:

Edith Wynne-Trollip: Curriculum Support and advise, Overberg District

Ashalia Maharajh: Founder & Director, Sivuka Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Thozamile Mvumvu: CFE Programme Manager, False Bay TVET

Artvilla Dakamela, 22, another wizard from the literature world, he is an Accounting student at the University of the Free State. He has written for the Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN) amongst others. He currently resides in DurbanKZN - and is a very enthusiastic reader and writer.

My name is Molatelo Kate Kgatla, I’m 24 years old. I was born and raised in Lenyenye. I’m a grade 2 teacher at Vunza Teddy Bear Learning Academy, an author of a book titled her jouney as a young mother. I became a mother at 17. It influenced me to write about my personal journey to try and help someone that could be going through the same. I love writing and I love my 7 year old daughter and life.

Lesly Malose Mahapa is a singer/writer/poet. He started writing at the age of 14 and has since been on a jour ney to pursue his music and writing career. Lesly is cur rently working with an indie group ‘MozSouth’ based in Ivory park, Midrand. Lesly is also a brand ambassador for a local clothing line “Boi Boi apparel”

Applications - the next step

It is time – as always – to look at applications. The year is running out and the next bigger step will the dreaded application. What are we applying for? University? TVET? Job? Wherever we turn, we have to now apply.

I think we all know the importance of deadlines. Make sure that you adhere to this. Deadlines are not guidelines!

This is where we have enrolled the experts. How does a district assist in ‘applications’. What does the industry look for in an application? How to write a winning application.

These are all good questions and we will try to get a closer look at it.

We may also turn around and ask ourselves: What is the objective of a written application? We can all fill in a form with static info, but that will never get us the job.

Let it be said: the objective of the application is to get to the next sage and that is the interview.

It is with this in mind we will assist in formulating a winning application, be it based on a job advert or an unsolicited application.

What are applications?

There are so many types of applications out there. We apply for a place at university, we apply for a job, we apply for a loan, we apply for …. Anything.

There are many things that are ‘easy’: applying at university is a rather mechanical process. We fill in the form (online), attach the supporting documents and that is it. If we match the criteria, we are in luck. A ma chine can do it. And by and large: there are no appeals processes.

The best part of university applications are online. There are no walk-in options anymore. If we look at the format (I tried a few), there are plenty of things to fill in. It is not complicated, but be aware: if it is not done correctly, it will be rejected.

If you should apply for a job in any state institution, there are also forms to fill in. I quote from the website here:

“As a rule vacancies are advertised in a Public Service Vacancy Circular compiled and issued weekly by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).

The Public Service Vacancy Circular informs public servants about va cancies within the Public Service. Persons who are not Public Service

employees but interested in the posi tions advertised should first establish from the advertising department if they can apply. The contact details of the advertising departments are provided in the Circular” And then the form Z83 to complete.

All in all, complex, but not difficult!

Let us turn to applying for a job. This might be more complex as there may or may not be a form to complete.

Big companies (bank, insurance) do operate with a form, and they (typically) look at appli cants after high-school.

There would be a section where you can express yourself. Who are you after all? And why apply with this company?

This is where creativity comes in. But this is much more involved, because now you have to talk about YOU. The key word here is honesty!

That leads into what we are going to discuss as well: the unsolicited application.

The success rate can be high er, but it requires a lot of ground work. You have to research what the company is all about.

Read on – there is an article on that as well!

How do we assist as a district?

In Grade 8 and 9 learners would have been informed of personality traits, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, abilities and career fields and prospects via the various subjects. It is on this basis that learners choose subjects at their schools and lay the foundation for their future career choices and options.

In grade 10 learners identify and link subjects to their future options and choices and they are made aware of the entry level requirements.

As part of the Life Orientation

Curriculum learners are exposed to the Application process, Writing of a Curriculum Vitae. Adverts and requirements, Job Contracts and the Basic Conditions of the Employment Act.

Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners are gradually taken through the process of getting “job ready”. Job shadowing is also done during school holidays in Grades 10 and 11 and learners get a sense of what it would be like to do a certain job.

They still have time to discuss and inquire and find something else if they are not happy and comfortable with their first choice.

Topics like punctuality, dress code, con duct and digital platform conduct are discussed in order to bring awareness of what it is that will either keep you in a job or rob you of a job.

Higher Educational Institution (HEI) Entry Requirements are discussed and learners are exposed to what they would be allowed to apply for with the subjects and marks that they offer currently. The Point system is looked at and discussed per subject and per programme offered at vari ous HEI’s.

As part of preparing learners for life after school, they are also encour aged to get part-time jobs and have discussions about how to take care of themselves if they are not living at home with their family and parents. Physical Fitness, Mental Health and dietary requirements are key topics.

Partnerships with local and Government partners are forged to assist learners to get into learnership programmes and to give them some sort of work experi ence. An example is the Boland College and the learnership programs that they offer in collaboration with various govern- ment departments where young inexpe- rienced students can get some in-service practical experience for a number of months as agreed between the parties involved.

Learners are also made aware of the fact that they can change when they feel the need to do so and they are made aware of the ever changing career fields and new careers of the future.

Edith Wynne-Trollip (writing in her personal capacity) Curriculum Support and Advise Overberg Education District

What does an accountant apply for?

Accountants have various duties and responsibilities in the workplace, and they often have to decide, prior to employment, on which of the many specialties they want to focus on, such as audit, finance, tax, or cost accounting, etc. Although choosing a specialty may seem like a tough choice to be faced with, it is one that comes with ease to others, this is because of the numerous factors that help determine what is best for the individual. These factors may include their preferred work environment and the university major they enjoy the most during their studies.

The common careers and the associated industry bodies accountants apply for:

Internal Audit

One of the common skills held by internal auditors is the ability to pay close attention to detail, they look closely at business activities and identify and rec ommend changes to financially risky activities as well as other activities run inefficiently. The Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIA SA) provides professional membership for internal auditors in South Africa.

External Audit

Unlike internal auditors, external auditors are independent individuals, appointed by a company’s owners, and are concerned with the fairness, lawfulness and the truthfulness of a company’s financial information. These professionals are members of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA).

Financial Accounting

This field involves the overseeing of financial activities and the prepara tion of a company’s annual financial statements. The individuals can ei ther be members of the South African Institute Chartered Accountants (SAICA) or Professional Accountants (SAIPA). They are often required to translate and break down complex financial information to those with little or no financial accounting background.

Tax

These individuals are highly skilled in numbers and problem solving, they are usually members of the South African Insti tute of Taxation (SAIT). They may be called by businesses or high earning people to provide advice and solutions on tax related matters, or they can be employed on a full time basis with the duties to perform all tax-related services.

Cost and Management Accounting

Management accountants possess good strategic decision-making skills and are concerned with helping a business manage its investment and budgeting activities.

Significant experience and advanced-level qualifications in any of these specialties can lead to applying for senior positions such as audit man ager, tax manager, etc. alternatively, the individual can also apply for lecturing positions at universities and colleges if they possess qualifications on a masters or doctoral level.

Freedom Park is not only mandated to address reconciliation and na tion building; it also purposefully strives to highlight the heritage that our forbearers bequeathed to us. We believe that our heritage and the heritage of the spirit of ubuntu is at the root of respect and tolerance of diversity. It is our aim to restore that link with those who came before us. It’s this link that forms the basis of how, in our diversity, we feel we are equal and respected and able to interact and tolerate with each other.

Everything at Freedom Park is representative of our history, heritage, cul ture, spirituality, and indigenous knowledge. Even the 360° view of the

capital city from Salvokop Hill symbolises a link between the past, pres ent and future.

Freedom Park honours those who took a stand and know that there is a place that recognises such heroes and heroines. Our youth’s contribu tions mattered so much in the history of our nation. It is, however, time

for today’s youth to take their lead from those who have gone before and take a stand to build this nation even further.

Freedom Park is a 52-hectar site located on Salvokop. In full view of the Union Buildings and near Unisa and the Voortrekker Monument, Free dom Park is emerging as a major landmark reshaping and enhancing the skyline of our capital city. Freedom Park is a people’s shrine that weaves the story of where we come from and the events that shaped what South Africa is today. It reminds us that we can be a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic nation.

We would like to see more South Africans visiting Freedom Park on daily basis. Every South African child must visit Freedom Park at least once in their lifetime. Freedom Park must be like the pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China, or the Taj Ma hal in India.

Freedom Park is an award-winning location. Besides visiting Freedom Park for a tour, or to spend time for corporate functions and retreats, it is also a peaceful space for walking, hiking and bird watching. When you’re at Freedom Park you’ll forget that you’re in the city centre.

Freedom Park was voted among the top architecturally outstanding mu seums in the world and Pretoria’s best heritage destination. We believe these are testaments to the beauty and uniqueness of Freedom Park.

Ms. Rogini Govender Chartered Public Relations Practioner (CPRP) Marketing and Communications Officer

Greater Tygerberg Partnership puts on jam-packed Climate Change School Holiday Programme

The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP), in collaboration with several partners, including Waste-ED, Nude-Foods and The City Arts and Culture Department financially made this programme - costing more than R70,000 - possible. The Climate Change School Holiday Programme will be hosting a free five-day school holiday programme between the 3rd –7th October 2022.

students between 14 and 18 from the wider Greater Tygerberg area, will get an incredible opportunity to explore sustainable solutions to our changing world and chang ing climate. There will only be seventeen students that will be given the opportunity to partake.

During the packed week, children can look forward to several climate change activities: they will go on natural immersive excursions to places like SANParks Silvermine Dam and Belville Park and join beach clean ups at Milnerton and St James Beach.

They will also be able to take part in a host of innovative activities like up-cycling art session by Our Workshop, framing of their artworks by

ORMS and a practical demo on building your own Eco brick structure. The exciting holiday programme will conclude with a guided snorkelling lesson from Cape Town Free Diving.

“At the GTP, our vision is to position the Bellville and Parow area as a place of inno vation and sustainability. Our environment is very important to us and preserving and protecting it must start from a young age.

By giving our youth a fun and stimulating introduction into things like the basics on composting, recycling, and sustainable food security, we begin fostering a sense of responsibility and awareness amongst the young, almost creating a generation of eco-warriors” says Monique Muller, Project Manager at GTP.

The activities start early at 8h00 on the programme mornings from GTP of- fices, Bellville. A shuttle will transport them around the city during the day before drop ping them back at the GTP offices at around 14h00. All materials and lunch will be provided, and each child will also receive a Bellville environmental youth ambassador certifi cate on completion of the programme.

Spaces are limited, Sign-up now!

The seventeen limited spots available will be allocated on a first come first serve basis and the children must be available for the full week. Parents and children must also be willing to sign an indemnity form before participating in the programme.

To sign-up, complete the online registration form here by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/KH6hFKQ8KB35Gq876.

For more information, please send an email to: monique.muller@gtp.org.za

https://www.cut.ac.za/application-process

https://pr.cut.ac.za/acadappstatus

https://www.cut.ac.za/application-process

Agro Processing Dreams vs Reality

Agro processing is a “value adding” process which refers to the sub-sector that takes primary materials and intermediate goods from agricul tural, fisheries and forestry-based sectors and processes them to make it usable as food, feed, fibre, fuel, or industrial raw material.

This process has long existed with the presence of products like dried fruit, canned fruit, biofuels, and juice. The agro processing industry is a significant contributor to the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, this industry allows for multidisciplinary collaboration between chemical engineers, chemists, food scientists, biotechnologists etc.

Due to the potential that the industry holds, the sector has been perceived as the sector to address nutrition and food security chal lenges in many countries while increasing the demand for the agricultural products and oppor tunities for rural employment with a particular focus on increasing the number of agro processing firms. But is that as easy as it seems?

Firstly, challenges around market access, technology adoption, skills de velopment, and adequate infrastructure, and some incentives to partici

pate in the existing agro processing industries are prevalent.

Secondly, the food and agro processing sector in countries like South Africa is dominated by large commercial operations translating to the sector being characterised by extensive anticompetitive conduct as the few role players do not easily allow the transformation to take place because of uncertainty and risk aversion.

Thirdly, cost competitiveness is seen as a minimum requirement in agro processing which means that entrant agro processing units must be able to compete against imports and large local businesses. As pects such as transport and logistics capabilities can significantly shape the competitiveness of a firm, and these are perceived as significant challenges.

Lastly, access to financing. Many entrant agro processing firms face challenges in se curing finance from both private and public (development finance) institutions due to the cost advantages that large commercial operations have over them. Indeed, over the years, work has been done to give rise to alternative finance, however, it seems there is a mismatch between the design of development funding and the needs of entrant firms.

It is clear that there is a gap between agro processing dreams and the current reality. Additionally, for the mere fact that every entry firm will face their own unique set of challenges makes the gap even wider.

Regardless, the sector remains crucial and has the potential to contrib ute to food security while lessening unemployment through agricultur al, fisheries and forestry-based sectors.

Masiziba

Agro processing is the norm

Can we find something that has not been processed somehow? We might think that the very basic foods are not there, but…

Potatoes are washed before they are packed for sale in Spar! Look at a potato fresh from the ground. It is not exactly cleaned and shiny and light yellow.

Lettuce then! Yes, but.. lettuce typically gets washed as well.

Some things are more ‘processed than others. Mealie miel is milled and vitamins added. Flour the same. Not a lot has happened to it, but it is still part of agro processing.

Then we get to the ‘real’ thigs: the beef patties for the burger, the marmalade for the toast, the canned toma toes and so on. Look at the shopping next time!

What is adding to the cost of the food product is of course processing, additional ingredients (salt, water, etc), packaging and marketing. Marketing is a factor. The onion from Spar is probably like the one from Woolworths, but not so with say juice and marmalade!

Bon appetite

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CAREER ChooseSubjectsyour

Planning

For

pursue

Rolihlahla

Careerchoice

The Eastern Cape Department ofEducation encourages learners to choose suitablecareer path, by collecting information that will helpthem pursue their career / field of study.

Unsolicited applications

Is it even worth trying to put a job application to a company if they are not advertising any jobs? Is it waste of time?

I found some interesting viewpoints here and here. Although it requires a lot more research and creativity in writing, it can be a better option than just chucking an email at a job advert.

What the experts above are saying is that the unsolicited job application can be very effective, but it requires a lot more than just emailing a CV.

Research is the key word here. Find a company where you believe you can add value. If you are interested in say working in a lab, find the phar maceutical company where its values speak to you.

Then more research: what do they do? What jobs are there you could fill? Who is the HR person? Who is head of the unit where you would love to work?

Of course some of it will be available on the website, but otherwise phone reception. Get the names and email addresses.

There is a little hint from the experts. If you write to a BIG

company, they might have a very streamlined HR unit. It is possible to get caught in red tape. Go for the not so big companies. The HR unit may just be one person and it might be possible to engage with the unit head.

Now to writing!

It has to be impeccable and it has to show you have researched it. Talk to them! Sentences like “ I have seen from your website that you have a new contract and that might mean you will need committed people soon”.

Describe who you are and why you want to work for them. Tell them how YOU can add value to their organization. Be very specific. “because I have done a course in XX, I can fit into your new unit…”

Show commitment. Offer them the opportunity to interview you at least.

The real importance is to show them who you are and that may never be possible in a standard job application. This is your chance to shine and to put forward your value to them in your own words.

Remember as well: the objective of the application is one thing only: get to the interview!

New Exhibitions

We added two new exhibitions to our collection on the floor. The 4IR and Mirror Maze exhibitions

4IR Exhibition

The 4IR exhibition currently hosts the Humanoids (two small ones and the big one called Pepper), Virtual reality Station, Augmented Reality and the interactive displays integrated with of a number of TV screens.

This concept is through the touch screen located at the entrance to the center. Interactive display section has been created where visitors are encouraged to use traditional touch screens to immerse them selves in games and content around Science Technology Engineering and Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

Children are provided with the opportunity to play games to train their analytical ability, improve their ability to solve puzzles and chal

lenges. They are also challenged to explore more traditional content style, such as exploration of subjects including how Artificial Intelli gence works, Machine Learning, how data transfers over networks etc.

Science Exploration

While traditional science teaching has complex challenges around logistics, safety and costs. VR has none of these limitations. Ex periments are done as often as needed with no physical costs of materials or safety concerns. Students can learn about physics and chemistry, life science etc. in a safe environment. Within VR learning occurs without any distract but with full immersion. Learning and un derstanding mathematics becomes easier and more fun inside of VR due to the nature of games and how they are designed.

This is designed to make learning and exploration real fun especially for little ones. Wide learning opportunities exist through this exhi bition, children have many prospects to learn on, e.g. google earth exploration experience.

With Google Earth VR, chil dren can travel to almost any place in the world. They can fly all over the world and explore any city, any monument and landmark anywhere in the world.The exhi bition has two different types of humanoids the small one (called Sanbot Max and the Bigger one called Pepper).

The Sanbot Max robot was designed to be implemented into nu merous kinds of business scenarios, providing customers and staff members with intelligent and efficient services.

Pepper is a semi-humanoid robot, which means that a human has to control it. It is designed with the ability to read emotions. Pepper recognizes faces and basic human emotion.

Drones and Mirror Maze

Drones Pilots at the Clubhouse

Did you know that the Clubhouse has three certi fied drone pilots?

They also have 10 DJI Tell drones that they will used for their drone course.

They are currently putting together content for the said course.

In addition, the Clubhouse offers programmes such as Teach Fundamentals of drones, real-life applications of drones: namely surveillance using object identification and tracking to videography for commercials and other media use.

This includes python programming that covers drone automation.

Mirror Maze Exhibit

A mirror is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera.

Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves or objects behind them, or even objects that are at an angle from them but out of their field of view, such as around a corner.

Natural mirrors have existed since prehistoric times, such as the surface of water, but people have been manufacturing mirrors out of a variety of materials for thousands of years, like stone, metals, and glass. In modern mirrors, metals like silver or aluminum are often used due to their high reflectivity, applied as a thin coating on glass because of its natu rally smooth and very hard surface.

A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching patterns that lead unambiguously through a convo luted layout to a goal. The pathways and walls in a maze are typically fixed, but puzzles in which the walls and paths can change during the game are also categorised as mazes or tour puzzles Mirror Maze

The mirror maze itself is a pattern, combining several characteristics of geometric patterns: repetition, symmetry and tessellation using repeated equilateral triangles. These triangles fit together without any gaps or overlaps, creating a tessellation. Mirrored surfaces all around reflect the pattern so that it repeats and appears infinite.

Finally - a defense

Malaria No More

It has been the goal for years and years to develop some sort of defense against Malaria. There is now hope that something is happening!

I found an interesting article here.

The fact is that there are some 229 million cases of Malaria per year, killing around 500,000 peo ple every year with some 94% of these deaths in Africa! This is stark reality and Malaria can also be found in South Africa.

The problem with any effective defense is that Malaria is hard to isolate as it can change form inside the body. It is a moving target and what works today may not work tomorrow.

Finally, a team from Oxford University has developed the first workable solution.

The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease.

Prof. Katie Ewer

This malaria vaccine is the 14th that Prof Katie Ewer has worked on at Oxford as “this is not like Covid where we have seven vaccines straight away that will work... it’s much, much harder”.

She told the BBC it was “incredibly gratifying” to get this far and “the potential achievement that this vaccine could have if it’s rolled out could be really world-changing

The currently approved vaccine - made by GSK - shares similarities with the one developed in Oxford.

Both target the first stage of the parasite’s lifecycle by intercepting it before it gets to the liver and establishes a foothold in the body.

The vaccines are built using a com bination of proteins from the malaria parasite and the hepatitis B virus, but Oxford’s version has a higher proportion of malaria proteins. The team think this helps the immune system to focus on malaria rather than the hepatitis.

How does Malaria work?

Wiki: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects hu mans and other animals.Malaria causes symptoms that typically in clude fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Malaria is caused by single-celled microorgan ism. It is spread exclusively through bites of in fected mosquitoes. The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito’s saliva into a person’s blood. The parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce.

Oxford: we applaud you!

The Ig Nobel prize has been awarded again. This year was a full-blown event as we used to see it (Covid disrupted 2020 and 2021 and turn them into online events).

Let us just recap a few things: It is said that is a parody on the ‘real’ Nobel prize. Maybe, but the winners are typi cally Nobel prize laureates anyway. The aim is “honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think”.

Wiki: “Organized by the scientific humor magazine, Annals of Improba ble Research (AIR), the Ig Nobel Prizes are presented by Nobel laureates in a ceremony at the Sanders Theater, Harvard University, and are followed by the winners’ public lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The event contains a number of running jokes, including Miss Sweetie Poo, a little girl who repeatedly cries out, “Please stop: I’m bored”, in a high-pitched voice if speakers go on too long.

Throwing paper planes onto the stage is a long-standing tradition. For many years Professor Roy J. Glauber swept the stage clean of the air planes as the official “Keeper of the Broom”. Glauber could not attend the 2005 awards because he was traveling to Stockholm to claim a genuine Nobel Prize in Physic.

Here is a list of some of the winning contributions this year:

• Applied Cardiology Prize: Eliska Prochazkova and colleagues, for seeking and finding evidence that when new romantic partners meet for the first time, and feel attracted to each other, their heart rates synchronize.

• Literature Prize: Eric Martínez and colleagues, for analysing what makes legal documents unnecessarily difficult to understand.

• Physics Prize: Frank Fish and colleagues, for trying to understand how ducklings manage to swim in formation.

• Engineering Prize: Gen Matsuzaki and colleagues, for trying to dis cover the most efficient way for people to use their fingers when turning a knob.

• Peace Prize: Junhui Wu and colleagues, for developing an algorithm to help gossipers decide when to tell the truth and when to lie.

• Economics Prize: Alessandro Pluchino and colleagues, for explaining, mathematically, why success most often goes not to the most talent ed people, but instead to the luckiest.

• Safety Engineering Prize: Magnus Gens, for developing a moose crash-test dummy.

Have a giggle!

Ig Nobel – remarkable things

There have been a lot of different things ‘discovered’ or ‘tested’ in the Ig Nobel sphere.

I found (Wiki) some rather remarkable things:

2021 winner: Biology: Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund and Joost van de Weijer for analyzing variations in purring, chirping, chattering, trilling, tweedling, murmuring, meowing, moaning, squeaking, hissing, yowling, howling, growling, and other modes of cat-human communication.

2018: Nutrition: James Cole, for calculating that the caloric intake from a hu man-cannibalism diet is significantly lower than the caloric intake from most other traditional meat diets.

Useful information I believe. I really wonder how they measured it.

Physics: Marc-Antoine Fardin, for us ing fluid dynamics to probe the ques tion “Can a Cat Be Both a Solid and a Liquid?

I love this one! This is real mathemat ics that can lead absolutely nowhere and still lead to something amazing.

Look at some of the people (wiki):

Multiple winners:

Sir Andre Konstantin Geim is working in England in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester.

Geim was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Konstantin Novoselov for his work on graphene. He is Regius Pro fessor of Physics and Royal Society Research Professor at the National Graphene Institute.

Sir Andre Geim had also been awarded an Ig Nobel Prize earlier in 2000 for levitating a frog using its intrinsic magnetism. He is the only individual, as of 2021, to have received both Nobel and Ig Nobel prizes.

Joseph Bishop Keller was an American mathema tician who specialized in applied mathematics. He was best known for his work on the “geometrical theory of diffraction”.

In 1999 he was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for cal culating how to make a teapot spout that does not drip.

With Patrick B. Warren, Robin C. Ball and Raymond E. Goldstein, Keller was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2012 for calculating the forces that shape and move ponytail hair.

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What will you receive?

We will have the monthly digizine in your hands via the link to Issuu. That is a quick way of making sure you can enjoy it in your own time.

`

Info and more info

We promise not to burden you with too much info, but if and when something great is happening (an article perhaps?) we will push it out to you.

is

wil ensure

What is NSFAS?

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a government entity under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)

What does NSFAS do?

Supports access to and success in, higher education and training for students from poor and working-class families who would otherwise not be able to afford the cost of studies at a public university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college.

•Provides financial aid to eligible students who are studying or plan to study at any of the 50 TVET colleges or the 26 public universities in South Africa

•Identifies students who qualify for the bursary

•Provides bursaries to students

Who qualifies for NSFAS funding?

• All South African citizens

• All SASSA grant recipients

• Applicants whose combined household income is not more than R350 000 per annum

• Persons with disabilities with a combined household income of not more than R600 000 per annum

• Students who started studying at a university before 2018 and whose household income is not more than R122 000 per annum

What does the NSFAS bursary cover?

• Registration

• Tuition

• Book allowance

• Accommodation allowance

• Transport allowance

• Food allowance

• Personal care allowance

Does the NSFAS bursary offer any additional support for students with disabilities?

Yes, NSFAS further supports funded students with disabilities through an additional allowance that covers:

• Medical assessments

• Assistive devices

• Human support to cover for the cost of a caregiver, guide dog, scribe or tutor.

How, where and when can one apply for NSFAS?

The 2021 application season will be communicated through media, social media and the NSFAS website www.nsfas.org.za.

Applications are submitted online through the NSFAS website: www.nsfas.org.za

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NSFAS Connect gives you access to quick facts and frequently asked questions. Applicants and students can also submit and track a query for further assistance.

The Queen

Like her or not, she has made an impact on the world. Having been a focal point for so many years is amazing. 80% of all people living have been born during her reign. She has overseen the transformation of an empire to a modern country.

Whenever somebody would say ‘The Queen’, there was really only one queen in this universe. Her.

Of course her constitutional role limited her powers, but her opinions did count, except she never expressed those in public. As far as I know.

She had a weekly meeting with the PM, but what was said and discussed remain deep secrets.

We may ask ourselves: why so popular? She has not always been popular. The death of Princess Diane rocked the very foundation of monarchy.

She has had her share of family squabbles. But still remined the mother figure of a nation. Popularity? Difficult to define.

Here is my take: it is a very British thing - and therefore not possible to explain anyway.

What remains to be seen is: will the monarchy survive? Probably not in its current form, though. Maybe after Charles? Maybe William is going to do something about it?

But what?

The New PM

So Liz Truss became the next PM. Elected by the conservative party (only). The process was a bit mysterious but probably the best they could come up with.

Her ‘promotion’ was over-shadowed by the Queen passing and so on, but she is there now.

There are plenty of things on her plate. The unfinished business with EU over Northern Ireland could be the worst part of it. How to square the circle. The Good Friday agreement and the Northern Ireland Proto col are – as I see it – not compatible. The Boris solution is not going to work either (Let us just legislate and break international law and agreements).

The next fun one is this ‘special relationship’. Boris was a major fan of Trump, to the extent where UK policies were (somewhat) aligned with Trump’s intentions.

Now Trump is not there and the special relationship is not high on Biden’s agenda. What will it mean for UK?

The latest headache will be the survival of the monarchy. Will Charles be a unifier or not? And who will pick up the Commonwealth?

Good Luck! You will need it

Being adventurous

Is it true that we as kids are hesitant in trying new things?

I found an interesting article here. It is about kids being hesitant in trying new things. This article here should be read as though it is for all of us.

What the article states is that kids in many ways like to stick with what is known.

New things might feel uncomfortable or even scary.

That is not something new – so far. We are all creatures of habits. We have a comfort zone, be it our home, the food we eat, the friends we have. In a normal setting, we do venture out in the world, but hardly ever do we totally leave the comfort zone.

The thing of importance here is that there are opportunities in doing something new. If we like Chinese food, the ‘adventure’ for the week end could be to go to a new restaurant. It is a mix of what we know and something new.

… and then Covid came around.

Now the opportunities in trying something new went away for all of us. The kids could not have a sleepover, new friends were not there and whatever we tried came with a risk of getting infected.

A very scary place indeed.

It dd more to us than just removing two years of social interacting. It blocked our imagination and for kids especially, it did not allow for trying new things as part of normal upbring ing and development.

The article says that the way out of this is to focus on what we are good at. If the child is good at playing the guitar, don’t try and force him or her to try a new instrument. Encourage the guitar playing but challenge the kid to play jazz instead of rock, etc. push the boundaries but keep it within the comfort zone.

The other part the article states is to work within the fears of something new. Don’t tell me it is not scary to do XYZ. If you do, it will make my fear irrelevant – and the fear is real and relevant. Work within this. Say things like ‘I know this might be scary, but I think you can do it. Let us try this together’.

Big difference! We can get into being the adventurous self we should be.

AI generated art – is it art?

Again a ‘good question’ which should make all of us think: to what extent can we use technology to produce art?

I found something interesting here.

I quote: “In August, Allen, a game designer who lives in Pueblo West, Colorado, won first place in the emerging artist division’s “digital arts/ digitally-manipulated photog raphy” category at the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition.

His winning image, titled “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial” (French for “Space Opera Theater”), was made with Midjourney — an artificial intelligence system that can produce detailed images when fed written prompts. A $300 prize accompanied his win.

Midjourney is one of a growing number of such AI image generators — others include Google Research’s Imagen and OpenAI’s DALL-E 2. Any one can use Midjourney via Discord, while DALL-E 2 requires an invitation, and Imagen has not been opened up to users outside Google.

Other artist were not so impressed: “This came into sharp focus for Allen not long after his win. Allen had posted excitedly about his win on Midjourney’s Discord server on August 25, along with pictures of his three entries; it went viral on Twitter days later, with many artists angered by Allen’s win because of his use of AI to cre ate the image, as a story by Vice’s Motherboard reported earlier this week.

“This sucks for the exact same reason we don’t let robots participate in the Olympics,” one Twitter user wrote.

“This is the literal definition of ‘pressed a few buttons to make a digital art piece’,” another Tweeted. “AI artwork is the ‘banana taped to the wall’ of the digital world now.”

First of all: it is not just pressing a few buttons. You have a ‘conver sation’ with the AI program. It will react to what you want it to do and it will interpret things for you.

But is it art? One of the judges at the competition said ““I think there’s a lot involved in this piece and I think the AI technology may give more opportunities to people who may not find themselves artists in the conventional way,” he said.

Here is the crux: conventional way!

How far can we get with new technology? Maybe it is time to open the debate on these topics.

Let us go back in time: what happened when the electric guitar got invented? Did we see the same attitude by the established artists. This is not playing a guitar. It is electric generated noise!

What happened when we started using colourful markers for painting instead of paint and a brush?

Surely Andy Warhol’s paintings are all art. But try to look at it again. These are also made with ‘technology’. A photo is processed with soft ware.

So the entire debate is really: are there boundaries for the usage of technology? And who can set these boundaries?

It gets worse: who is an artist? Do I have to go to art school for using Mid Journey?

After all, I don’t paint it. I just prompt the program to paint it and to interpret my intentions. Am I an artist or a hack?

One of the quotes above is the one with having robots competing in the Olympics. Well, what is (really) wrong with that?

If eSport is going to be an Olympic discipline, then we have already opened it up. Here we do not see people (as in human beings) competing. It is my program vs. yours.

Let us pursue this thought a bit and be even more controversial.

What is the purpose of Olympics? To entertain. So if we see 200 m sprint for robots, can we not get just as excited as seen Usain running? And is Formula 1 not more or less the same? Sure, there is a driver, but hey, is the car not the more important thing?

If that is so, then there cannot be any boundaries in terms of either art, sport or any other activity.

The creativity will be on so many more fronts. Writing the code that will enable new art forms. Writing code for 3D printing that can then be used for creating a statue.

Is the programmer then the artist? The engineer putting a Formula 1 car together or building a robot?

We can extend this to all forms of art. Ballet, music, acting and so on.

If we look at a good play, I will be surprised if we cannot spot ‘technology’ being used. Something not there when Shakespeare wrote ‘King Lear’.

Maybe we should not judge anything really. If it entertains it is art! And let us just use all the tools available to us – in many new ways.

I am an artist

My personal experience when starting out as an artist

When I was growing up, I always knew that I was gifted and talented, but I never thought that I would venture into the creative industry. Although I come from a family of creatives, I always took my talent as a hobby.

my grandparents were both artists: my grandma was a designer and my grandpa was a choir conductor and composer but they were not really exposed at a bigger scale. In fact, they did it as a side hustle if I may put it that way.

Tables turned for me when I moved from a small village in Polokwane to Pretoria when I was doing my grade 9. That is when I got exposed to a lot of young people who were doing something about their talents and that is when the industry bug bit me.

I was a bit shy and reserved to begin with. My singing was the only thing that made me feel good and comfortable and I re member my teacher telling me that I need ed to feed this talent a lot more and con sider doing something in the creative space after my matric.

2007 was my matric year and that is when I real ly got to accept my destiny. I entered the annual school talent show and not only did I win in my category, which was music, I also became the overall winner of the competition and till this day my picture is still on the wall of Fame at school and this for me really solidified what was then going to be my life.

I then went on to be on bigger platforms like Jam Alley on SABC 1, YoTv, Coca-cola pop stars just to name a few and now I have 3 international collaborations, an EP, and I have lots of singles under my belt. On top of I get to perform and do what I love every day.

I have ventured into acting and I have recently made an appearance on some of South Africa’s biggest soapies which are ‘Generations the legacy’ and ‘Telenovela the Wife’.

My journey has been both bitter and sweet and I am living my dream! I can’t trade this for anything in this world, though hard work is a must in this industry. It is also a fun and amazing space to be in and I am glad that I decided to follow my dream and turn it into a realistic career.

It’s movie

All courtesy

AVATAR – The

This time we do something different. We Also because I simply LOVE Avatar.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Cameron and produced by chise, following Avatar (2009)

Cameron, who had stated ful, announced the first two with The Way of Water aiming (to the first one) and the necessity ture scenes underwater, a crew more time to work on

Preliminary shooting for the lowed by principal photography 2017; filming concluded in duction being interrupted

The film’s theatrical release 23, 2020. It is currently planned quels to be released, respectively, 2028. Being made on a budget

movie time!

courtesy of various

The way of Water

We spend bit of time on this one.

Water is an upcoming American epic science-fiction film directed by James by 20th Century Studios. It is the second film in Cameron’s Avatar fran (2009)

stated in 2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar if it was success two sequels in 2010 following the widespread success of the first film, aiming for a 2014 release. However, the addition of three more sequels necessity to develop new technology in order to film performance cap a feat never accomplished before, led to significant delays to allow the on the writing, preproduction, and visual effects.

the film started in Manhattan Beach, California, on August 15, 2017, folphotography simultaneously with Avatar 3 in New Zealand on September 25, in late September 2020, after over three years of shooting, despite pro interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

release has been subject to repeated delays, with the latest occurring on July planned for a release on December 16, 2022, with the following three se respectively, on December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, budget of $250 million, it is one of the most expensive films of all time.

October is the month where we hold the breath and wait for exams to dawn on us. But there is more to it! (Wiki)

Peat Cutting Monday or Peat Cutting Day is a public holiday in the Falkland Islands that is cele brated on the first Monday in October every year.

Traditionally, Peat Cutting Day was the time of year when Falkland Islanders went out to cut cubes of surface-soil peat which was then used as the primary fuel for heating homes and cooking food in the islands. In 2002, the Executive Council of the Falkland Islands made it an official public holiday to be celebrated on the first Monday in October every year, replacing Falklands Day, which had been celebrated in Au gust.

A word on using peat as fuel: It is dirty! It does not easily burn. It smolders and creates soot in the chimney. It is smelly!

But if there is no wood to use, maybe peat is the next best (as is the case in Falklands).

Nanomonestotse is an autumn celebration of peace, observed within some Native Amer ican families. The word “nanomónestôtse” means “peace” in the Cheyenne language.

Nanomonestotse traces its roots back to the early 1900s and a Native American woman named Marion Young, who is credited with passing the ideals of peace on to her descendants.

Starting on Monday, family members begin sev eral days of preparation for the celebration at the end of the week. Children build small mod els of traditional Native American dwellings. Adults discuss how their economic activity can better help others.

Starting on Friday at the end of this week, the family has a Nanomonestotse Celebration meal. The model houses are arranged around a candle as a centerpiece on the table. Families often invite some neighbors to join them for the meal.

The meal often features foods native to the Americas, such as corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, cranberries, pumpkin and squash. During the week, friends and families greet other saying: “May peace dwell in our village

We need writers!

Hola MaHigh-School is YOUR magazine. That is why we would love to see students writing for students about student life and everything of importance to a student in any grade10-12 across the country.

What is required? That is easy:

You have to be in grade 10-12somewhere Impeccable in your preferred language-and that might not be English. We try to be more than just English.

Passionate about your topic of choice - no dull articles here.

Is it important?

YES it is.

Look what Rofhiwa said:

My name is Rofhiwa and I love to write. I have used my skills to express my thoughts on interna tional dealings of the world which have been published in Hola MaHigh-School.

It has paid off, not only is my work printed for young people in the country to read, but it also contributed to me gettng a bur sary from CNBC-Africa to do my post-graduate studies. Would be a lot harder to get by if I didn’t have a platform like Hola MaHigh-School.

Next Time...

The dreaded word ‘exam’ is now top of mind. We are there for you, but we are not going to pile more revisions on you.

I think we have enough of those so let us look at all the other things.

Stress, food, before-exam check-list, during check- list and so on.

However, exam is not as ‘scary’ as it used to be. Passing is also now a matter of work throughout the year and that is a component in ‘exam’.

Is it possible to relax a bit during exam season? of course it is and it is a part of preparation, so let us look at how to stay in top (mental) form for the next two months.

... and let us see if we can find some ‘silly’ facts to get us laughing a little!

Until next time!

Coronavirus Protect yourself Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds

How long is 20 seconds?

Hum the first verse of our national anthem: Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika

More info: www.health.gov.za