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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

History book available from UFS Marketing
2007-02-01

The university’s history book, "From Grey to Gold", is available from UFS Marketing.

The book will soon be delivered to persons who have ordered copies of the book. UFS Marketing is in the process of distributing the books.

However, persons are also welcome to collect the book from Rinda Duraan or Ronél Meyer at the offices of UFS Marketing in the Wekkie Saayman Building.  

Additional copies in Afrikaans or English are also available from UFS Marketing at R380 per copy. Please contact Ronél Meyer at X2150 or Rinda Duraan at X2143 for inquiries.

A proud 100 years

The history of the University of the Free State is one of faith, hope, struggle and determination. In the course of a century, and from a poor Free State community, the UFS has developed into a strong and mature university. This book, richly illustrated with photographs, tells its fascinating story, including:

  • Its establishment
  • The role of the founding fathers
  • Black pioneers of transformation
  • The establishment and development of academic departments and faculties; student numbers
  • Pioneers and trends in research; academic entrepreneurs
  • Campus issues; campus politics
  • The UFS’s place in socio-political changes
  • Student life: Rag, intervarsity and cheerleaders; sport and Springboks; hostel traditions
  • The admission of black students; anguish about race, language and culture
  • The story of “digs” and hostels, of Tin Town and the “Vlei”, Darkest Africa and the Red Square
  • The development of the campus, of the Tickey and the Banana
  • Of hardships in the founding years, good times and turn-around strategies
  • Community service and regional involvement and a new focus on the African continent.

Some interesting reading:

  • More than 500 pages
  • Hundreds of photographs
  • Appendices on office-bearers; awards and achievements (including national sporting colours)
  • A time-line situating the UFS’s history in the context of the history of the Free State, of South Africa and of the world

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