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The Inaugural Dream Walk Puts First-Years in High Spirits

25 February 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Victor Ramphore Mahlohla (baddapictures)

The inaugural dream walk at the University of the Free State took place on the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 February 2022. The dream walk, also referred to as ‘Leeto la ditoro’, will become an annual event where first-year students come together to express and celebrate their dreams and aspirations.

The event was well attended by Bloemfontein Campus first-year students, who believe that the event is a great way to set the tone for the rest of the year. The students first gathered at a station on campus, where they were issued with a faculty T-shirt, key chain, a dream card, and a mask. The official walk then began from the Visitor Centre Gate on the northwest side of the Bloemfontein Campus to the Main Building, where members of the senior leadership are based.

During the walk, first-year students had to write down their dreams and aspirations on the dream card, which they ultimately placed in a box at the Main Building. “I found it amazing to be able to put my dreams on paper; it makes them more realistic,” highlighted Marise Prinsloo, a first-year student from the Outeniqua residence. Although some of the aspirations were too personal for some first-year students to speak about, others’ aspirations varied from academic success, spiritual wellness, and mental and physical health. In fact, Malcolm Willemse, who is also a first-year student from Outeniqua, hopes to secure a number of leadership positions. “I have dreams of being in the first-year committee and of being in the sub-committees, and I managed to write these down,” he shared.

In addition, the atmosphere at the event was vibrant, as the students were excited to engage with one another. “It was amazing to walk with other residences such as Villa Bravado, Abraham Fischer, and Conlaurês, as they have great spirit,’’ expressed Willemse. The walk included songs from the various residences, and the first-year students were dancing and singing along. However, the fun did not end there. Once the students arrived at the Main Building, they were treated to a DJ who had them dancing and singing even more.

As the dream walk event will also take place on the Qwaqwa and South Campuses, the students on these campuses can expect to take part in a lot of singing, dancing, and other cultural activities. Precious Modiba, who is also a first-year student, argues that besides having a good time, one of the best things about the dream walk is the friends that one gets to make.

News Archive

New developments in the Faculty of Theology and Religion

2017-08-30

Bishop JM Khumalo, Apostolic Church of
Christ; Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the
Faculty of Theology and Religion; and
Rev Simon Galada, Wesleyan Church,
at the faculty’s official opening in
February 2017.
Photo: Eugene Seegers

At a meeting of the UFS Council last year, a name change was accepted for the Faculty of Theology, renaming it to the Faculty of Theology and Religion. This change signals openness in approach to other religions, in addition to those of Christian denominations. This is a development that took root in Europe a few years ago. Furthermore, a growing field of interest is the study of the impact religion has had and still has, even in highly secularised societies. This name change is the first of its kind in South Africa, which means that the faculty will lead the way in transformation and impact-based religious studies.

Exciting times lie ahead
Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the faculty, says of these refinements: “The new name and restructuring of departments will lead to a new synergy that will have an impact on our teaching and research in the faculty. Exciting times lie ahead for the Faculty of Theology and Religion!”

Apart from the change in the name of the faculty, departments within the faculty were also regrouped, with new names. The Departments of Old Testament and New Testament merged to become the Department of Old and New Testament Studies, while the Departments of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology merged and will now be known as the Department of Historical and Constructive Theology. The former Departments of Practical Theology and Missiology became the Department of Practical and Missional Theology. The Department of Religion Studies remained unchanged to emphasise the importance of religion in South Africa and the world at large.
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Distinction of theological disciplines
The rationale for these groupings is the distinction of theological disciplines in terms of the study of texts (Old and New Testament), sources (Systematic Theology and Church History), and practices (Practical Theology and Missiology). One benefit of these newly-constructed departments is that they will be more cost-effective, but the more important advantage is that this will stimulate discussion and research across the various theological disciplines.

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