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26 August 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Sonia Small
Sing off
SingOff participants getting ready for the upcoming finals of the competition.
The SingOff competition, which is regarded as one of the biggest arts and culture experiences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has returned after a two-year hiatus. “Due to COVID-19, the competition has not happened in just over two years, and we are very excited to have it happen this year,” expressed Hlumelo Xaba: SRC Arts and Culture. 
The SingOff finals will be held in the Kopanong Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State on 27 August 2022 from 17:00.

What the UFS community can expect

From the rotations, which took place from 24 to 25 August 2022, leading up to the finals, the competition has generated a lot of excitement, specifically among the residences. “There’s a lot of competition this year, each and every person wants to make a name for themselves. So, the audience can expect a lot of competition, energy, and fun from the eight groups selected to be in the finals,’’ stated Xaba. 

Although the format of the competition has not changed much, some new elements have been introduced to make it more interesting. “What we decided to do this year, is to make it 80% music and 20% creativity. The creativity portion includes all the choreography, instruments, and costumes used by the participants,” explained Xaba. In addition, two new categories – best male and best female vocalist – have been added to the finals of the competition.

Collaboration

The excitement about the SingOff finals is not limited to the UFS community. In collaboration with the SRC: Arts and Culture, Standard Bank has jumped on board as the official sponsor of the SingOff finals. “This is something that has not happened in nearly four years, so we are very excited about Standard Bank being able to collaborate with us,” Xaba highlighted. In fact, Standard Bank has also been instrumental in building hype around the competition through the activations it has been hosting at the Thakaneng Bridge from 24 August 2022.


Furthermore, Standard Bank has contributed a cash prize of R10 000, which will be divided among the final top three, along with trophies to be awarded to the runners-up.

Xaba maintains that SingOff is an important aspect of student life at the UFS. “It allows people to gain exposure through the arts, and it also builds a sense of community and camaraderie among students,” he expressed. As such, with the final stage of the SingOff fast approaching, Xaba urges that, “all the participants and the UFS community at large should enjoy this moment, as it is about building memories”.

News Archive

Renowned forensic scientist speaks at the UFS
2014-04-02


Forensic science is about the truth. At the presentation delivered by Dr David Klatzow, were, from the left: Tinus Viljoen, lecturer in Forensic Genetics, Dr Klatzow and Laura Heathfield, also a lecturer in Forensic Genetics.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs 

It is necessary for more research to be done in the field of forensic science in South Africa. This is according to Dr David Klatzow, well-known forensic scientist, during a lecture delivered at the University of the Free State (UFS) last week.

The university is offering, for the first time this year, a BSc degree in Forensic Science in the Department of Genetics. This three-year degree is, among others, directed at people working for the South African Police Service on crime scenes and on criminal cases in forensic laboratories. Students can also study up to PhD level, specialising in various forensic fields.

There is no accredited forensic laboratory in South Africa. “It is time to look differently at forensic science, and to deliver research papers on the subject. In light of the manner in which science is applied, we have to look differently at everything,” Dr Klatzow said.

Dr Klatzow praised the university for its chemistry-based course. “Chemistry is a strong basis for forensic science,” he said.

A paradigm shift in terms of forensic science is needed. Micro scratches on bullets, fingerprints, DNA, bite marks – all of these are forensic evidence that in the past led to people being wrongfully hanged. This evidence is not necessarily the alpha and omega of forensic science today. DNA, which seems to be the golden rule, can produce problems in itself. Because a person leaves DNA in his fingerprint, it is possible that DNA is transferred from one crime scene to another by forensic experts dusting for fingerprints. According to Dr Klatzow, this is only one of the problems that could be experienced with DNA evidence.

“No single set of forensic evidence is 100% effective or without problems. Rather approach the crime scene through a combination of evidence, by collecting fingerprints, DNA, etc. It is also very important to look at the context in which the events happened.

“A person sees what he expects to see. This causes huge problems in terms of forensic science. For example, if a criminal fits the profile of the perpetrator, it doesn’t follow that this specific criminal is the culprit. It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble, it’s what we know that isn’t so,” Dr Klatzow said.

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