1st years editionVolume 71 | Issue 1

IRAWA, The Official Student Newspaper of the UFS

@IRAWAPost

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K O V S I E S

W E L C O M E

INSIDE

Visitors CentrePg. 2

1st years AtheleticsPg. 8

Dear KovsiesPg. 6

216 January 2015News

IRAWA Post conducted a survey on students regard-ing how satisfied they are with what they are study-ing.

The results were taken from 300 students across each faculty.

Health Science, Business

Statistics based on a survey conducted on the UFS Bloemfontein campus by IRAWA Post on 23 and 24 July 2014.

Love it or drop it

Surv

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by:

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NSFAS under pressureOn Monday, Higher Edu-cation Minister, Blade Nzi-mande, said the government has increased funding to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to cater for poor and disabled students.

Despite the increased fund-ing from the government, Nzimande said, “We talk about increasing NSFAS funds but it gets gobbled up by high university fees.” He also said he would meet with Vice-Chancellors of universities to discuss NSFAS funds.

IRAWA spoke to Kovsie students queuing for student

Claude van der Berg@IRAWAPost

loans in the administration building. “My dad was working and paying for my tuition, but then he got re-trenched” said Tsebiso Nka-ki, a third-year Geology stu-dent. He also said his father

had sponsored him finan-cially until last year. He also had to do odd jobs to keep studying. “This will be my only source of income for studying” he said. Inati Jovani, a first year BA General student, said she

School and Economic Man-agement Science faculties indicated a spike in stu-dents who ‘love’ what they are studying.

According to the survey the relevance and interest in the chosen was the main reason for students’ satisfaction.

n = 300

was anxious with anticipa-tion for her loan with NS-FAS. “I’m nervous that I might not be successful in terms of getting my loan and then I’d have to go home

and then try again another time.” She added, “The fact that you’re succeeding in your studies says a lot and money should not stop you from studying.”

Nzimande has also noted that factors such as the ex-change rate, due to universi-ties having to import books

and equip-ment as well as oil prices affect the costs of study-ing. President Jacob Zuma

also said universities and other institutions should not exclude students on the ba-sis of price or race.

‘Money should not stop you from studying.’

316 January 2015News

The University of the Free State recently celebrated the opening of the new Visitor’s Centre, which was officially opened on 27 November 2014. New visitors may now only enter through the DF Malherbe Gate where the centre is located. Visitors will have to fill in a form at the centre before receiving an access card.

Mamosa Makaya, the Dep-uty Director of Integrated Communication at the UFS, says “The whole pro-ject was devised as part as part of securing the cam-pus, where the flow of traf-fic in and out of the cam-pus would be directed to specific gates using access cards”. She further noted “The new visitors’ personal details are linked with the access cards so at least we know who is on campus, whereas before, anyone could walk in and leave.” Whether the new Visitor’s Centre will make a dif-ference to the security on campus remains questiona-ble as some students are the culprits of theft on campus. Its usefulness must also be

Claude van der Berg@IRAWAPost

New Visitors Centre allocated at Gate 4 by DF Malhebe Ave. Photo: Claude van der Berg

Kovsies’ Beitbridge

measured at the expense of its construction, which comes from stu-dent levies. An office assis-tant at the new Visitor’s Cen-tre, Frederika Glamini, said “I believe that the centre was a good idea, but they could have done better

in the sense of information being distributed to stu-

dents and the public.” The four office assistants, who

started working at the cen-tre from January 2015 re-

ceive an average of 4200 calls per day. Charity Khoza, a parent of a Kovsie student believes that the centre does

make the university safer, “ The university was very

‘They could have done better in the sense of information being

distributed to the student.’

open so one does not really see who is who [sic] and I am simply a parent so if I walk in here then nobody knows what my reason is for being here.”The centre is open from 08:00-16:30 on weekdays.

Empty hallways, empty spacesVuyisile Kubeka@vee_waar

at the Study Material Centreor Student Life Centre for only R65

Get your 2015 Kovsie Life Diary

Recent building develop-ments have experienced a delay. In a statement re-garding the delay in occu-pancy of the new residence made on the university’s Fa-cebook page, it is explained that construction was the cause of the delay. New accommodation

arrangements have been made for the first year residents who were meant to move into the residence this week. During the first week on campus (16-23 January), residents will be accommodated in separate sections of the neighbour-ing residences, ConLâures and Outeniqua. On 23 January, the residents, with the assistance of the uni-versity, will relocate to the

new building. Confirma-tion on the exact room the students will stay will be communicated directly to the student. A special information ses-sion for first-year students and their guardians has been arranged for Friday 16 January at the Genmin Lectorum (LTC) at 14:00 and Saturday 17 January at the Education Auditorium at 14:00.

Places to

C A M P U Sknow on

You have just arrived on campus. If there is one place you should know about, it’s the Rooi Plein. This also known as the Main Building. Flanked near North and South Block, this is a part of campus where various events take place. On Saturday 17 January, the Gateway programme together with the university will host Ka-ren Zoid and Vusi Mahlasela. Rumour has it that Professor Jansen’s office can be found behind the bench near South Block.

The University of the Free State has a number of services that it offers. Some of those are to ensure that as Kovsies’ we are safe and balanced. Protection Ser-vices keep us safe. Health and Wellness is the best place to go for career counsel-ling, time management and the occasional check-up with the doctor.

On busy days you’re bound to find people on the bridge. From your favourite chicken schnitzel at Chic-a-licious and if you are on the run you can just get balletjie from a rand. To the ever so friendly customer services at the Deli #ThankYouForTheExtraChips. Not forgetting the ever cheerful staff from Treats.

Feeling bored? No en-ergy to go to the mall? Well fret no more. Scae-na and the Odeion are the Theatre and Music departments. The stu-dents and lecturers put together entertaining productions and afford-able prices.

Places to

C A M P U Sknow on

You have just arrived on campus. If there is one place you should know about, it’s the Rooi Plein. This also known as the Main Building. Flanked near North and South Block, this is a part of campus where various events take place. On Saturday 17 January, the Gateway programme together with the university will host Ka-ren Zoid and Vusi Mahlasela. Rumour has it that Professor Jansen’s office can be found behind the bench near South Block.

The Sasol Library is where you can find the study lock or study log, you decide. The entrance in the above picture is also where you will find the Jo-hannes Stegmann Gallery which hosts a number of art exhibitions.

The University of the Free State has a number of services that it offers. Some of those are to ensure that as Kovsies’ we are safe and balanced. Protection Ser-vices keep us safe. Health and Wellness is the best place to go for career counsel-ling, time management and the occasional check-up with the doctor.

On busy days you’re bound to find people on the bridge. From your favourite chicken schnitzel at Chic-a-licious and if you are on the run you can just get balletjie from a rand. To the ever so friendly customer services at the Deli #ThankYouForTheExtraChips. Not forgetting the ever cheerful staff from Treats.

Last year the UFS created the outdoor gym. The colour-ful and easy to use equipment is found near the Exercise and Sports Science Centre, encouraging students to stay fit.

6Opinion 16 January 2015

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief - Palesa Morei

Deputy Editor -Vuyisile Kubeka

News Editor - Claude van der Berg

Deputy News Editor - Zanri Kotzé

Sport Editor - Iavan PijoosSub Editor - Ilse Bookless

Layout and Centrespread - Tango Goode

IRAWA Post is a product of the

Student Media LabA division ofStudent Life

Office 47, SRC Building Bloemfontein Campus

IRAWA Post subscribes to the South African Press Code. If we do not live up to the code, contact the Press Ombudsman on 011 484 3612 or johanr@ombudsman.org.zaNo part of this publication may be reproduced in any way or form without the written permission from the publisher.

Big school, I’m here

Palesa MoreiEditor-in-Chief @ palee_m

Letter to my Kovsies

Bonjour

Vuyisile KubekaDeputy Editor @ Vee_waar

Dear Kovsies

Blessings and compliments of the New Year. We reflect back on the greatness of the passing year and look ahead to a year filled with innova-tion, difference, excellence and unity. Firstly, our hearts beam with pride as we congratulate and wish our fellow Kovsie, Miss World 2015, Rolene Strauss. We wish you all the best on her new journey. A heartily congratulations is extended to Ms Relebohile Kobeli on being crowned Miss Lesotho 2015. These and many other achieve-ments are ones we are truly proud of. We would like to extend a word of welcome to our new Kovsies. Never has there been a greater time to be a part of our commu-nity. We hope that your new home will inspire you to ex-plore the boundaries, push yourself to greater heights and strive to embody and embrace the Kovsie values of unity and acceptance.

This year promises to be one of ages. With the new off campus swiping system that will take effect as of January, a dynamic student life filled with vibrancy and variation and programmes that will seek to empower, protect and the student com-munity. This is an extremely good year to be a Kovsie. We hope that we can rely on your support going forward and that we will continue to build an environment that inspires excellence and pro-duces the kind of citizens

that epitomises values of our democratic society.We wish you the best of luck in the new year and remember that you always remain central.

Mosa Leteane

SRC PresidentLeteaneME@ufs.ac.za Office 53 Thakaneng BridgeBloemfontein campus

Now that we’ve set out our resolutions and ready to kick off the year, allow me to welcome you all to Kov-sies. If you are a residence student, brace yourself. The next two weeks are going to be hectic, loads of fun yes, hectic nonethe-less. Before you start tackling the year, let us get clarity on a few things:

Do not be alarmed when you get to lectures the first week and find that you have no place to sit. It is only temporary, half of those people are not go-ing to be there for most of the semester and the next time you will see them will be during exam dis-cussion. My advice? Don’t be that guy. Varsity is the time when most of us find the freedom to do what we want when it comes to our dress code and appear-ance. My thoughts? Feel free to explore however you want. However, just make sure your parents can still recognise you. Orange helmet cuts and purple snake like things on your head are probably not the brightest of ideas. How you experience your first-year is completely up to you. You will never have another first-year experi-ence, enjoy it while it lasts.

Fridge, check. Micro-wave, check. Bedding check. Awesome room-mate, Well I’m not so sure about that but hope we get along. That was what I was worried about in my first year. Overwhelmed, of cause I was, From the opening at the Callie to

Deputy News EditorNews Editor Sub-editor

getting lost on campus, not even knowing where Al-bert Wessels is, don’t wor-ry we all go through that, thank goodness campus isn’t so big so by the third week, you should be good.My first advice to first years is try stuff out, don’t be afraid to ask. It doesn’t help going to and from class creating your own routine which you were ever so happy to break out of in high school. Most importantly, before ‘turning up’ if that’s a term to still use in 2015, make sure you know when your classes are, tests and as-signments, that is the rea-son why you came to uni-versity.Welcome to Kovsie, make this the best years of your life. The IRAWA team is looking forward to putting more issues together for their students.

IRAWA POST Editorial 2015

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Vox Pop: Registration Stress

It’s hard out here

Life is considerably a mean joke, at times, one thing I was never

told in school. The reali-sation that it's all a mirror which everyone and every-thing is holding against you is an endless negotiation, one I'm still working out. Kovsie Counselling hap-pened to be one such mirror for me at a time I felt eve-rything was spiralling out of control. I lost a lover whose

timing was incredibly per-fect to throw me over. His message was brutal, his de-liver was no different. Try breaking up with a 20 year old (over the weekend on Twitter) who's supposed to write two of his major ex-ams the following week and watch as the crash, fall and burn. Besides the pain of an ending relation my con-cern was self esteem, my emotional attitude towards

By: Spencer Mahokare

myself..."I'm not worthy!" My headspace was other-wise and I wouldn't have been able to make it alone. I knew then I needed an in-tervention and am grateful Kovsie Counselling was ac-cessible. I doubt any of my friends would have been able to relocate my head and that is where profes-sional help comes in, when you can't even open up to friends.

7Opinion 16 January 2015

Registration process at the University of the Free State By: Tango Goode

Kendall Richter 2nd Year Education

“It was really easy, every-one was helpful and told me where to go. First year I had anxiety…I waited like 5 hours at least, or more. But this was a lot easier, quick, in and out – no stress.”

Shuang Zhu 1st year B.Com Accounting

“It’s quite difficult…there are so many problems you have to fix yourself. Like the admission requirements and the module selection is quite busy for us.” [sic]

Humayd Adam3rd year LLB

“It went surprisingly well. I thought I would be in cues but fortunately everything really went well. First year was intimidating, coming to a strange place and you don’t know the people.

Tumisang Mdluli 2nd year BA General

“There’s this lady that helped me, Kgali, she showed me everything I didn’t know. She was pa-tient and she listened to me. Best academic advice I have ever received. Compared to my first year.”

Siobhan Reid 1st year Human. M. Science

“It’s a mess. Chaos. I’ve been moved around, I’ve been sent to the wrong places the whole day. It’s been chaos and a mess, all together. And it’s actually tiring. It’s disorganised ac-tually.”

Send an email with your name and student numberto:

programming-kovsiefm@ufs.ac.za before 15 March 2015.

Financial Planning Law

P

Phone Koos082 499 6779

Student Accomodation- Cleaning and laundry included

- Furnished

- DSTV

- Rooms from R1800

16 January 2015 8Sport

Let the games begin

Iavan Pijoos@Iavan13

Prof. Jansen beating the odds Photo: Sourced

Painted faces, crowds shouting your residence’s name, rivalries, echoes of vuvuzela’s, flying over-alls, welcome to first years athletics. The first years

athletics is not only one of the most exciting events on

the calendar for first- years, but it also provides a great platform for first years to leave their name on the grass.

Faith McCullum, a third year B.com General student says, “I enjoyed the athlet-ics, the spirit was unforget-table. I guess only a Kovsie knows the feeling.” More so, it is also one of the most competitive events amongst first years. Not only is it a platform to compete, but also a great way for first years to represent their residence. Through all the singing and shouting, every residence brings its own unique feel to the event.

“I am excited to experience athletics on varsity level. I am eager to experience the Kovsie spirit”, says Justine Fortuin, a very keen first year student.

Last year’s male residence winners Vishuis and female residence winners Wag ‘n Bietjie will be determined to defend their titles at this year’s meeting.

This year’s First Years ath-letics will be held at Pel-

lies Park on the 21 January 2015.

‘The spirit was unforget-table. I guess only a Kovsie

knows the feeling.’

I don’t know about you but it was quite breath-taking to see the Spring-boks beat the Proteas at their annual Mandela Legacy day.

The Proteas had a busy summer when they wel-comed the West Indies to a 3 test series in Decem-ber, which they won 3-0 respectively. It was great preparation towards the World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zea-land during February and March 2015. The test matches against the Windies also saw the introduction of the 19/year old Kagiso Radaba, selected alongside un-capped Lions team mate Temba Bavuma. Bavuma got his test career off to a slow start but has as a raw talent with a bright future ahead.

Some feel that watch-ing test cricket is like watching paint dry, bor-ing and way too long. Enthusiasm peeks when eagerly awaited support-ers show up in numbers at the cricket grounds. More so, test cricket is seen as a fun day out. At many cricket grounds you see bikini babes having a tan or the braai masters doing their thing on the grass. Or even the kids having their own mini cricket game, while copying their favourite Protea player.This year cricket greeted the profound first class cricketer and Australian batsman Phillip Hughes. After being bowled to the head during a Shef-field Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the 25 year old tragically passed away. It raises awareness to the dan-gers of cricket. How safe is cricket really? Safe enough to being called the gentleman’s game?

Test cricket comes at the right time when fellow labourers can think of nothing better than spend-ing their leisure time alongside a cricket oval wearing a designer water-melon helmet.

Too much cricket for one day?

Iavan Pijoos@Iavan13

North College Swimming Event19 January

20 January

21 January

22 January

24 January

28 January

30 January

Netball inter residence (clubhouse)

Central College swimming event and Kovsie First Year Athletics (Pellies Park)

South College swimming event.

First Year Tournament for Rugby, Netball, Volleyball, Basketball

West College swimming event.

East College swimming event. U/20 Rugby

Gateway Sport 2015