Welcome festival marks new chapter for UCT newcomers

To mark the end of their orientation programme, newcomers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) were treated to a welcome festival, hosted by the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) in conjunction with UCT Radio. The event took place at the Green Mile, on Thursday, 13 February.

The day provided an opportunity to encounter new students, reconnect with high school friends who have also made the decision to attend UCT and get a first-hand experience of what sports and societies have to offer this year. The attendance was no different from the previous couple of years, as thousands of students marked what would be the last few days before lectures started on Monday, 17 February.

Entertainers at the UCT Radio stage ensured that the atmosphere remained lively. Time was also allocated to speeches from senior UCT leadership members, including DSA executive director, Pura Mgolombane.

“By just being here, it puts you in a particular place insofar as your future is concerned. My role is to make sure that future remains within grasp – and for that to happen, at DSA we are here to support you,” said Mgolombane. “Believe me, insofar as your intellect is concerned, that has been established. That’s why you are here. Do not allow anybody – yourself included – to tell you otherwise, because the moment that happens, you start going in different directions.”

He concluded: “DSA is here to make sure your mind, body and soul are aligned. Fundamentally, the one area that we always leave behind is ourselves. Having come this far, please do not leave yourself at the gate. Come as you are.”

Community

With over 40 sporting codes and over 100 societies to choose from, a quintessential elevator pitch would be necessary to grab the attention of interested students. Marketing her society on the day was Lakeisha Juries, chairperson of the Genshiken social club, for anime and gaming enthusiasts.

“We’ve got casual and competitive gaming, as well as anime screenings which are open to anyone, even if you’re not into anime gaming. At our casual gaming events, there are prizes up for grabs. There are also fun quizzes we host. Our competitive gaming consists of tournaments where you can win prizes if you finish in the top three,” said Juries.

“To meet our accessibility requirements, we use campus venues for events, and you do not have to be a specific type of anime fan to join and enjoy.”

Busisiwe Ndlovu, the current chairperson of Women in Computer Science (WICS) UCT, described the society as a “community that empowers women and makes them feel they have a safe space to grow, but we also aim to add value to all members who join our society”.

“We do recreational events like hiking and movie screenings. And we also have workshops throughout the year hosted by industry professionals to make sure our members are keeping on top of trends, building their own projects and growing individually in their own careers.”

In conclusion, Ndlovu added: “In our society, we have people from first year all the way through to master’s. There’s no set definition of a WICS members. If you’re a woman looking to find your sense of community in your interest and it’s open, regardless of your primary faculty – we keep it an open space for anyone who is a tech enthusiast.”