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12 February 2020 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
Wellness
Join the UFS Health and Wellness Expo for two days of free services and activities for the entire family.

UFS Health  and Wellness Expo Programme

The University of the Free State (UFS) is on a mission to get Bloemfontein fit, in mind, body and soul. The UFS will host its first-ever Health and Wellness Expo on the Bloemfontein Campus from 20-21 February, targeting UFS staff and students as well as the broader Bloemfontein community.

The expo, organised by the Department of Human Resources’ Division for Organisational Development and Employee Wellness, will have four pillars that are underscored by the dimensions of wellness. “These four pillars will be exhibitions, medical screening tests, health talks and exercise sessions,” said Arina Engelbrecht, UFS Employee Wellness Specialist.

Staff, students and visitors will have the opportunity to explore a variety of stalls, learn new approaches of conquering health concerns and enhance their physical fitness and financial wellness, as well as nutrition. This year’s event features highlights such as Buti yoga, which combines jump training (plyometrics), tribal dancing and dynamic yoga asanas. This will be followed by fun, functional training with Ben Zwane, a fitness class suitable for all strength levels ranging from beginners to professional sports people. And if you are interested in a four or eight kilometre run or walk, both options will also be on offer. 

Nurturing the Wellness Tree of Bloemfontein

According to Engelbrecht, the goal is to build awareness around the need to live a healthier and a more active life among staff and the broader community. “The expo aims to assist the community in gaining knowledge about various options to lead a healthier life,” she said.

With the theme: Shaping the Wellness Tree of Bloemfontein and granted that the benefits of living a healthier life have been well-researched and documented, the Division hopes the expo will encourage people to lead improved lives that lead to higher levels of engagement and productivity. 

For more information contact Arina Engelbrecht at gesal@ufs.ac.za or on +27 83 644 9980.



News Archive

Prof Mary Kay Blakely from the Missouri School of Journalism (USA) speaks about the age of misinformation
2015-03-10

 

Prof Mary Kay Blakely  

Living in an age where misinformation is as common as loadshedding in South Africa, we all tend to ask who we can trust when reading or hearing the news media.

Prof Mary Kay Blakely from the Missouri School of Journalism (Columbia, USA) presented a public lecture recently entitled The age of misinformation: Who do you trust? at the UFS. She stressed the point of how, with the social media revolution and the rise of the citizen journalist, our news interests of old are being fed by many more new channels, influences, and opinions. This leaves us to question what is still true and what is still objective

For example, Blakely mentioned that “gossip, scandal, and celebrities have always been our fascination – even more so today.”

“But nowadays, we have to become even more critical thinkers.”

During Blakely’s presentation, she stated the harsh reality that objectivity is extremely difficult. True objectivity, which means keeping  yourself completely out of the story you cover, is virtually impossible.

“It is not just about covering both sides of the story. Often, there are far more sides to a story than just two, probably even five.”

Therefore, it comes down to fairness, balance, and truth, which are really important in covering a story. Hence, it is the obligation of the media to be fair, balanced, and truthful while recognising their own biases. 

Prof Mary Kay Blakely – Short Bio:

Prof Mary Kay Blakely is the author of the critically-acclaimed books Wake Me When It's Over, American Mom and Red, White and O So Blue. Her essays on social and political issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, LIFE, and Vogue, among others.

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