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04 February 2020 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Charl Devenish
Kovsie Eco vehicle parade
A highlight for first-year and senior students is the ACT eco-vehicle building and parade through the streets of Bloemfontein.

Sunny skies, cheerful faces, and an overall great atmosphere surfed the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus on Saturday, 1 February 2020 for the final series of events in the Kovsie ACT 2020 line-up.

The eco-vehicle parade kick-started the activities for the day and saw various student teams displaying their personalised pit-stop ‘sculptures’ along the streets of Bloemfontein.  UFS residence teams Sonverlief (Houses Sonnedou, Veritas, Madelief); Soetmarmentum (Houses Soetdoring, Marjolein, Armentum); and Beykasium (Houses Beyers Naudé, Akasia, Imperium) came in first, second, and third respectively, obtaining the highest scores out of nine teams for their pit-stop sculpture constructions. 
 
Following the parade, there were a number of fun but competitive eco-vehicle races between the teams. This included the Drag Race, Obstacle Course Race, Formula E Race, Endurance Race, and the Slalom Course Race that took place on the Mokete Square. 

In the evening, students were serenaded by artists such as Early B and Spoegwolf. They danced to performances from the latest Amapiano music sensation, Kabza de Small, and legendary deep-house music duo, Black Motion, at the Rag Farm. 

Assistant Director of UFS Student Life and Director of the Kovsie ACT office, Karen Scheepers, earlier urged students to get more involved in student-life programmes such as Kovsie ACT, in order to equip themselves with a variety of skills and a fulfilling university experience.

A number of senior and first-year students who were part of the action on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus this past Saturday, can attest to Scheepers’ advice.
“I’ve been looking forward to starting university for the longest time, and I am glad that I ended up at the UFS. I don’t feel alone, I feel like I can actually do this,” said first-year Psychology student, Thulisa Shezi.

“University isn’t as bad as everyone thinks it is, it’s just a matter of staying motivated, doing your work, and surrounding yourself with the right people in the process.” – Fourth-year Business Management student, Earl van der Westhuisen.

News Archive

Placing of new first-year students in residences to change
2009-09-12

As of 2010, new first-year students who study at the University of the Free State (UFS) will be fully integrated in the residences. This will be done as part of the university’s objective to increase diversity in its residences.

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, made this proposal to the UFS Council yesterday during its quarterly meeting as an alternative to his idea of having exclusively first-year residences as of next year. The proposal was unanimously supported by the Council.

“I have discussed my idea of having first-year residences widely with many stakeholders and, based on the feedback I received, decided not to go ahead, but to make a proposal to Council that first-year students be placed in residences with a 50/50 racial balance in which no student grouping dominates. It is a proposal that most role players are comfortable with and which will cause the least disruption to our senior students,” said Prof. Jansen.

“We must create a new culture in our residences. Our residences must be places where academic work enjoys priority in the organisation and culture of the residences. The university has many goals, one of which is that students learn to live and learn together so that they are better equipped to face the challenges of the modern workplace,” he said.

From next year, new first-year students will be placed centrally in residences by the university management, with some participation of senior students.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
12 September 2009

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