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25 January 2024
EASA conference

The University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein campus played host to the English Academy of Southern Africa’s (EASA) annual international conference on 7-8 December 2023.  Attracting 35 delegates from Canada, the UK, Nigeria, Botswana, and South Africa, the two-day conference delved into the theme, “Ways of Reading: Literature and Literacy,” with a diverse group seeking to unravel the intricate relationship between literature and literacy.

The proceedings were inaugurated by Prof Vasu Reddy, emphasising the importance of exploring how literacy shapes our modes of attention, both culturally and socially. He expressed his faith that the conference would be “generatively disruptive,” noting that “where there is disruption, there is also growth.”

Featuring two eminent keynote speakers, the conference saw Prof David Attwell, Emeritus Professor at the University of York (UK), discussing the connection between translingualism and creativity in a lecture titled, “A Ventriloquial Literature: The Art of ‘Throwing the Voice’ in the South African Canon. On the second day, Dr Karen Jennings, author of the Booker Prize longlisted novel An Island, reflected on “how place and identity are crucial to the act of creation,” with her talk whimsically titled, “Bums in the Ground.”

Delegates approached the conference theme in various ways, with some exploring how specific writers or critical movements have shaped scholarly reading habits. Others highlighted the significance of literacy for social justice. This diversity extended to the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, bringing together scholars working in language practice, literary studies and even the medical humanities.

Convened by Dr Rick de Villiers, a senior lecturer in the Department of English and the regional vice-president of EASA, the conference delighted in attracting scholars from different backgrounds and stages of their careers. “We had a wonderful mix of established and early-career scholars. The atmosphere was rigorous and robust but collegial throughout.”

Speaking on behalf of EASA, Dr De Villiers extended gratitude for the financial and administrative support from the UFS, particularly the Department of English.

News Archive

KovsieFit caters for all
2016-05-30


KovsieFit offers a new service to students and staff for keeping fit. Photo: Charl Devenish

Students on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) can now work in a gym session between classes, and staff can do the same before or after work.

This is due to KovsieFit, a commercial gymnasium, which will be taking in its first members on 30 May 2016. The gym is located in the Callie Human Centre and is a project which has been a long-time dream for the UFS.

UFS boasts three gymnasiums

For the last couple of months, a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes. Kobus Calldo, conditioning coach at KovsieSport, says everybody involved with the process is happy that KovsieFit is a reality. According to him KovsieFit “is looking good and everybody involved is very satisfied” with the final product.

KovsieFit will be open Mondays to Fridays from 05:30 to 19:30, and on Saturdays from 07:00 to 11:00. Prospective members will have to undergo health screenings before they may join. KovsieFit also has lockers available. The gym will be managed by a committee.

The High Performance Centre of the UFS, where athletes and sports teams are training, is located next to KovsieFit. At the beginning of the year, KovsieSport’s offices also moved to the Callie Human Centre. A third gymnasium, the Sports Science Centre – the former Biokinetics gymnasium – is located next to the Mabaleng Building. This will mainly be used as a rehabilitation centre.

Service to university community

According to Calldo KovsieFit caters for all and offers the same service to its members as any other commercial gymnasium. The target mark is primarily students and staff, and then the rest of the city.

“It is cheaper and conveniently close to the residences for students on campus. Staff members can have a gym session during lunch or before or after work.”

Wide variety of exercises

“We offer spinning, pilates, aerobic, zumba, and all those type of classes too. We will start with four classes a day until business picks up,” Calldo says.

KovsieFit also offers aerobic apparatus such as treadmills, rowers, and electric bicycles. A gymnasium circuit, two Olympic platforms, and different types of weights and machines are also available.

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