It’s Kit Kat time at NMMU

We're taking a break!

We’ve tucked into a Kit Kat, hauled out the slops and slapped on the sun tan lotion. Yes, the life@nmmu blog is taking a breather. We’re taking a break, and eating the proverbial Kit Kat.

It won’t be for too long, but long enough for us to unwind, relax and recharge the batteries that keep us going throughout 2014.

And we’ll be reflecting too, recalling the good times and bad and generally taking stock of all that has happened in the past 365 days.

Such as:

• All our green advances in technology, like the wind turbines and solar phone charging units

• Our staff and students who achieved internationally, like Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars Amy-Rose Westcott, who was the world’s top achiever in the Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary Levels maths exam. She beat 69 000 others around the globe
• 
  
• Former SRC President Yusuf Cassim becoming the youngest member of Parliament in the history of South Africa at just 24 years old

• The incredible number of building projects undertaken, including completion of Africa’s first “green” public building, the R116m Business School 

• Growing interest in NMMU’s future medical school, which is being established in a “bottom-up approach” 

• News of a future maritime faculty for NMMU

There will also be a chance to focus on our future … and for NMMU; much of it will include our 10-year anniversary celebrations in 2015.

So till then, life@nmmu wishes you a blessed festive season and looks forward to connecting with you again in the New Year.

Thank you for your continued support.

Forget the car park blues ...

I glance out of my office window at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) to an almost empty car park. The students are on holiday and the bulk of our academic and support staff are too.

Just as I start to suffer from the “car park blues” and feel sorry for myself with the resentment rising within because they are relaxing while I am still beavering away, I remember …

I remember that I have a job. I am employed.

I have somewhere to go each day and a means of earning a living.

I am fortunate.

I am especially fortunate in South Africa with its official unemployment figure of 25.5% (unofficially, it’s put at over 30%) – which equates to about 5.2 million South Africans without a job, according to StatsSA.

I also remember that I am naive in believing that all 27 000 of our students are relaxing. Few can afford the luxury of a two-month lay-off from a financial perspective. Many of them have to work to supplement the cost of obtaining a tertiary qualification.

As a former lecturer, I once had a student who went overseas every end-of-year break to work on building sites in the United Kingdom so that he could pay for the following year’s tuition fees.

Apart from the financial benefits for students who work in the holidays, there’s another – perhaps more important reason – that students should seek holiday employment during their study years. It just makes them more marketable. It gives them the edge when it comes to entering the workplace for real.

And it’s not just me saying that. Research by Adcorp in 2012 shows that those who take up internships are 30% more successful in finding longer-term placements than those who have had no previous work experience.

Doing holiday jobs gives you more than just financial rewards

I know I have an internship to thank for my first job as a young reporter at the Herald. I worked there every holiday. Perhaps it is simply a case of better the devil you know than the unknown student who sends in his CV. Whatever the reason, I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to practice my future trade and be assured I had chosen the right career. 

But holiday jobs need not be within our chosen field because all work has something to teach us in terms of discipline, commitment, being prompt, being polite, perseverance and interacting with people.

If students find themselves scrubbing dishes, serving people, handing out flyers, inputting information, answering telephones or whatever it is, it also shows a certain willingness (though sadly, there appears to be a growing movement among young people to think they are above certain forms of work – see Catherine Wijnberg’s excellent article: http://ow.ly/G1wr0) and this is to be commended.

Remember the student who worked on the building sites in the British mid-winter. Such work not only paid his fees, it made him appreciative of the fact that he needed a qualification if he did not want to be labourer for the rest of his life.

But it also gave him a head start when it came to permanent employment – his employers recognized his work ethic and his ability to work with people from all works of life (a must for a journalist). Today he travels the world for a top sports media group.

So if you are working student reading this, laugh off your form of the “car park blues” because you have given yourself a head start in the job market – one in which 600 000 graduates in South Africa also find themselves permanently unemployed.

Take advantage of such opportunities to bolster your CV and supplement your study fees

Be the change you want to see …

Sister Ethel with a young recipient from the Christmas party 

“I may be only one person. But I am one person who can make a difference.”

This phrase, painted on a wall of the Missionvale Care Centre in the impoverished shack lands of Missionvale in Port Elizabeth, is one I will never forget.

In fact, it‘s one I cling to in difficult circumstances and one my colleagues, family and friends are probably tired of hearing about from me. And that’s ok, because it’s not going to stop me - or others at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University – from spouting the truth.

We all have the ability to change things – if we are simply committed enough.

A message of encouragement to us all from the Missionvale Care Centre

That change is up to you, and of course, it starts with yourself. Understanding, reflecting, dissecting and getting to know who you really are and what you want to be and what you want to see change (for the better).

Day 3 of the annual Missional Care Centre Christmas party for the children of Missionvale

There are few better examples of being the change you want to see in the world than Port Elizabeth’s own Sister Ethel Normoyle.

Almost 27 years ago Sister Ethel began a journey into the informal shack lands of Missionvale that would begin to change the welfare of an entire community.

She had neither money nor supplies to reach out to the forgotten masses of this deprived community. But she had faith and determination (and nursing know-how).

This week I had the privilege of spending time in the company of the people of Missionvale as they celebrated an early Christmas thanks to the ongoing efforts of Sister Ethel. (For three mornings the Missionvale Care Centre hosted the annual Christmas party for the community’s children.)

And this party, during which 3 000 children each received a gift and some sweets, is but one aspect of what one’s woman’s commitment to change can bring.

Today, Missionvale has its own primary school, clinic, clothing warehouse, child development programme, 291 community gardens, community health practitioners, nutrition unit, church and community hall, crafter’s unit, adult development programme, eye clinic, doctor’s service and a team of volunteers from around the globe.

Not bad for a tiny Irish nun with faith.

As much as Sister Ethel will shy from the limelight, she is the one person who made a difference for Missionvale. She inspired others to the same deep compassion she has for the people of Missionvale.

She practiced the change she wanted to see in the world.

What about you?

What change do you want to see in the world?

At NMMU, we encourage you to take responsibility and do what you know will add value, not just for yourself, but for others. 

The volunteers and staff of the Missionvale Care Centre

Doing things differently …

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is doing things differently - with research that is transdisciplinary

Doing things differently. It’s a catchphrase we like to use at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University because we’d like to believe that we are trying to do things differently – well, certainly differently from your more traditional universities.

As a fairly new university (we are 10 next year), and one born from the merger of three very different institutions of higher learning (that’s the University of Port Elizabeth, the Port Elizabeth Technikon and the PE campus of Vista University), we have a wonderful opportunity to think afresh and not necessarily follow the same path as our established predecessors.

And so, where and when possible, NMMU endeavours to look beyond its “fixedness”.

It’s a term I learnt recently when attending a first-time workshop on “design thinking” presented by NMMU lecturer Prof Margie Cullen at our Business School. She’d attended a workshop at Harvard by Prof Srikanth Datar, and with his blessing, was now sharing the benefits of thinking afresh with anyone who’d care to listen. (Incidentally, there were many who cared to listen.)

In short, our “fixedness” (the set way in which we approach things), is often what stops us from seeing things differently. Instead of seeing a crisis as an opportunity to improve what we have, for example, we only continue to see it as a crisis.

So design thinking is about how you see things … and our assumptions become our worst enemies, especially when it comes to innovation. It blinds us to opportunities.

This fixedness, how we are set in our way of thinking because of our culture, beliefs and/or family traditions, means we will always get the same results.

We simply need to change the way we think.

But before we even get there, says Margie, we need to make time to think. Making that time will help us to ask the right questions and to clear the brain in thinking afresh. It is a time when you can ask yourself the likes of what you learnt today, what you can share, what you can do and what you should or should not repeat.

Thinkers are those who value ideas, explore options, embrace ambiguity, think out of the box, connect to the unconnected, add value and never fear failure. (Incidentally, South Africa does not embrace failure – once you’ve mucked up, you’re unlikely to ever get the consolatory bosom treatment as is commonplace in the States. And yet it is in failure that the biggest lessons are learnt).

Thinkers are those who identify needs and solve them even before we realise we had a need. Apple’s Steve Jobs was one such soul.

Thinkers do not defer responsibility, blaming others. Rather they embrace all that comes their way.

In fact, says Margie, our thinking is what defines us.

So it’s pretty exciting to know that NMMU is determined to avoid “fixedness” just because of what has gone before. (Though there are areas of fixedness that makes me want to scream … but I will save that for another blog).

One such example of the university’s determination to do things differently (to think about today’s real needs), is its integrated approach to learning. The silo approach of only knowing about your own subject is set to change. Students are increasingly being seeped in knowledge from many fields so that the economists can add value to the conservationists and the conservationists can advise the artists and the artists can reflect afresh on the work of the engineers etc.

It’s a transdisciplinary approach that the university is advocating because by working together we are better equipped for seeking solutions for a better tomorrow.

This was evident at the recent 2nd National Global Change Conference attended by about 300 students from universities throughout South Africa. They weren’t only science students, but came from all disciplines.

Ask Prof Maarten de Wet, an internationally-renowned scientist whose discipline links the hard sciences with the humanities in tackling challenges affecting the earth and humanities’ future.

“I am glad I made the move to come to NMMU. Here the university does things differently. We don’t want to think and act separately, but rather work in a comprehensive way – it’s about a transdisciplinary approach.”

Making history … NMMU’s first summer graduation

Education graduates sisters Cindy-Lee and Lee-Ann Bosch

We made history today … that’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and some 400-plus students as they were capped at the university’s first summer graduation.

And what a happy occasion is was for 400 Education graduates and 30-odd postgraduate students who received their masters and doctoral degree.

The new summer graduation supplements the university’s traditional graduation ceremonies in April – and following today’s successful event, is very likely to become an annual event on the academic calendar.

No less than 63 staff members filled the stage, while the Indoor Sports Centre itself was almost filled to capacity to witness what South Africa desperately so needs (in large numbers) – qualified teaching graduates who are committed to the country’s future.

The Government might well have boasted an increase in the Grade 12 national senior certificate results in 2013 (over the previous years), but we all well know that the state of education in our country is not healthy.

I mean, 500 000 learners who start out in grade 1, don’t even get to their matric year, and those who do, only need a 30% or 40% pass mark for their various subjects to complete their schooling.

When compared with other countries the shortcomings of our own schooling system are even more obvious.

South Africa’s maths and science ranks second last in the world – not second last in Africa, but the world. According to the Global Information Technology Report of last year, only Yemen’s youngsters are worse than ours.

The facts speak for themselves.

Our schooling system is a mess. We are failing hundreds of youngsters.

That’s why today’s graduation is so special. Yes, it’s a first for us - a piece of NMMU history. But it’s these young men and women who have the opportunity to help create a new history for South Africa.

It’s a history in which our education system will produce learners who can read, write, solve mathematical and other problems and think critically. They won’t just scrape through with 30% or 40%, but get at least 50% for all their subjects. They’ll be our leaders and economic drivers of tomorrow.

BRIGHT FUTURE ... BEd FET graduates Jason Field, Anike Botha (a Vice-Chancellor's Scholar), Margaretha and Carla Steyn all completed their degrees cum laude  

We need dedicated teachers to achieve this – people who are committed to the cause of opening young minds to the wonders of knowledge; people who believe in the abilities of people; people who are not driven by lucrative financial jobs but by ideals …

To see 400-plus young men and women of all races graduate with Bachelor of Education degrees (in Foundation, Intermediate and Further Education and Training phase) and with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Honours, was gratifying because it signals hope for our future.

It indicates that there are those who recognise the importance of education and are prepared to put their hands up to help turn our present-day “F” into a “B+” or “A” in building a better tomorrow for all our children.



Congratulations to all our graduates!

'An amazing generosity of spirit'

The NMMU Alumni team lead by example when it comes to supporting its students

Calling all naysayers, prophets of doom and down-in-the-mouth pessimists out there ...

There is hope. There is a better future. There is light at the end of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University kindness tunnel.

Anyone fortunate enough to have attended the Alumni Thanksgiving breakfast would have surely recognised this too as speaker after speaker shared inspiring snippets as to how they had been helped or are helping dozens of students achieve their dreams of obtaining a university education.

Or to use the Vice-Chancellor’s response: “What an amazing generosity of spirit” within the room.

(Incidentally, that room is the South Campus boma that was moved from Bird Street Campus many moons ago to its present location below the university’s many cricket fields).

There was the Alumni Student Association, whose past and present chairmen and women shared the story behind the alumni bag. At R25 for a shopping bag, you are contributing to students whose journey to graduation is full of financial challenges. (The Vice-Chancellor however bought one for R2600 during an impromptu auction).

A little can go a long way in helping students achieve their study dreams

And then there was the story of lecturer Paul Tai-Hing’s initiative – to put theory into practice. It’s an approach that benefits both his students and so many others.

His business management students run their own student businesses with the profits ploughed straight back into the community for education purposes.

In less than two years, his students’ entrepreneurial enthusiasm has raised R384 500 from the sale of a recipe book.

As a result, the students have been able to:

· Restore classrooms at Lwandlekhazi High School in New Brighton

· Contribute R80 000 towards disadvantaged students at NMMU in the form of food parcels, transport costs and study fees

· Buy stationery for Missionvale Primary School learners

· Buy toys for children at Missionvale Care Centre run by Sister Ethel Normoyle and donate R30 000 for general expenses

· Donate R85 000 to the Masenyusane Development Corporation, an organisation that helps the poorest schools in the metro

· R25 000 to the Laphumilanga Orphanage in Zwide

· Sponsorship for 10 matric students to attend the Accounting Winter School at NMMU

· Building of a toilet block, valued at R74 000, at Ben Sinuka Primary School in New Brighton

· Donate computer cabling, valued at R10 000, to Kwezi Lomso High School in Zwide

· Donate R9 500 for security gates at Kwa-Ford Primary School in New Brighton and

But students also gave of their time in the form of:

· 983 hours of one-on-one English tutoring

· 148 weeks of food parcels to families in need

Just as the boss man was moved to be the highest bidder of the bag, so those attending were inspired to do their bit. I am so grateful that generosity rubs off to the benefit of others.

So join the goodwill drive at NMMU, and buy your alumni bursary fund bag for just R25.

To learn more contact paul.geswindt@nmmu.ac.za, call 041 5044371 or e-mail shop@nmmu.ac.za

NMMU Alumni (from left) office bearers Vernon Naidoo, Randall Jonas, Renita Affat of the NMMU Trust and Vice Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz

NMMU lecturer Paul Tai-Hing (centre) is joined by Vernon Naidoo (left) and Randall Jonas

Living his Legacy

By Bev Erickson

As we celebrate the life of  Tata Madiba, our namesake,  on the first anniversary of his passing – it got me reflecting on the legacy he left behind, and the great leader he was.

I recently had the privilege of listening to the former private secretary of Madiba, Zelda la Grange. Her 60 minute presentation had everyone hanging on her lips as she told humorous and touching stories of her time with Nelson Mandela. She was just so “real” in her approach – nothing pretentious or fake about her – I guess like the man she called boss for more than half of her life.

The story I found particularly fascinating was his attention to detail and what a stickler he was for honesty and integrity. She spoke of a foreign visit when he was given the most beautiful hotel suite – complete with designer bottles of shampoo, body wash and fragrances in the bathroom. Late that evening, Zelda was summoned to his room and asked to fire the entire security team. Madiba had noticed that one of these little bottles had gone missing and would not rest until he had found the perpetrator. As the peacemaker, Zelda lined the entire team up in his room and the perpetrator was identified.  He took note of the little things and he had zero tolerance for dishonesty.

The interesting part of the presentation was the question time afterwards. And of course there were many! She handled them diplomatically and knew where the line was that she wouldn't overstep illustrating her own integrity. 

What a wonderful relationship these two totally different people had. A true testimony to both of them.

Then, last Sunday – I watched Long Walk to Freedom on TV with my husband and 17 year old daughter. I was reluctant to watch the movie as how could anyone even begin to portray such a colossus of a person? But Idris Elba did a pretty good job! It was wonderful to watch the life of Nelson Mandela played out in chronological order – giving a perspective of what he did and achieved in his life time.

Something else that opened my eyes were the comments by my 17 year old on the atrocities of our past and how foreign they were to her. “Did that really happen?”, “Didn't you know it was wrong?” 

But despite the wrong-doings, our beloved Madiba showed compassion and love for his country.

Tata – we will never forget you.

Living his Legacy 1918 - 2013

Honouring the women of our past

Journalist Nicky Willemse gets a quote from keynote speaker Chief Margaret Coetzee Williams

  
I obtained a "B" for history in my final exam in matric a few decades ago. Perhaps I obtained the symbol because I studied it as if I was a puppet and had a great memory. But that was way back then.

Oral history is much more exciting and I can just imagine hanging on every word of people like Saartjie Baartman, Dora Nginza and Molly Blackburn as we would walk back into time.

Guest blogger Roslyn Baatjies

Beautiful panels against the walls and hanging from the ceiling of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s exhibition centre - perfectly laid-out by the NMMU graphic designer Elmien Waring – tell these stories as the exhibition pays homage to the role of women in the shaping of the Eastern Cape’s history.

And no, it is not only the stories of the contributions of the well-known women like Sarah Baartman, Dora Nginza, Molly Blackburn whose names are synonymous with changing times in the Eastern Cape that can be viewed in this exhibition.

The opening of the exhibition last night gave us the opportunity to view and/or read the contribution of so many other fearless women covering the period from the late 1700s to contemporary South Africa.

The exhibition includes factual and anecdotal information, poetry and photographs. Among the stories documented are those of the province’s first missionaries and settlers like Janet Soga, a Scot who was married to the first black Xhosa minister; Harriet Ward, the province’s first journalist, and botanist Mary Elizabeth Barber, who used to exchange ideas with Charles Darwin.

Having been born and raised in the city’s northern areas, it was interesting to note that the Gelvandale area was named after a strong woman -  trade unionist Katie Gelvan. And was I surprised when I saw that the women of Kirkwood, where I spent my high school years, were also featured. Yes, I was!

Adding to the beautiful event were the speakers like Chief of the Khoisan people Margaret Coetzee Williams who, in her address on Sarah Baartman, focused on the importance of how Saartjie’s return home should remind us of the restoration of the dignity of all "the people in the womb of Mother Earth".

NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz welcomed guests at the launch of the exhibition

Verne Harris from the Nelson Mandela Foundation focused his address on "Patriarchies of the Post-Apartheid" and imparted insight into the late Nelson Mandela’s respect for and empowerment of women.

But what would an event like this be without ingredients like the perfect location, good food, drink, music and company. The lawn in front of the NMMU Governance Building on the Second Avenue Campus was the perfect spot for the event in a big tent; even the flowers in the garden smiled at being part of the occasion.

I have to return to the exhibition to read all about these strong women. Perhaps I will be motivated to make a greater contribution to the area where I live.

The exhibition is open daily until November 2015.

 

A reflective piece by Magda Minguizzi about being foreign 

Elhaam Bardien inspects one of the exhibits

NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz interacts with guests at the exhibition

Add caption

The exhibition honouring Eastern Cape women throughout our history

Among the tasty eats at the launch ... 

Hear ye … calling all matrics

Calling all matrics ... don't procastinate

An antiquated “hear ye” is unlikely to do it, but we need to use whatever tactics, communication platforms or gimmicks we can to ensure matrics and other prospective students get the message.

That message:

• Applications to study at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2015 close on 5 December.

• Online applications close on 30 November

• Failure to get your name into the system by then means you are likely to miss out on the opportunity of joining us next year.

Please share this news. Call your friends, text them, nag them, do cartwheels, shout it from the rooftops at Plett Rage, but please, please, please ensure that they know that 5 December is the late application deadline.

Far too many matrics lose out every year because they naively wait until receiving their final marks. This is too late.

Indeed, many of the 450 programmes offered by NMMU are already full (see list below).

You need to apply now (it will cost you R360) if you are to give yourself any chance of studying at NMMU in 2015.

The University has already received more than 39 000 applications and provisionally accepted more than 7 000 students. NMMU can only take about 6 000 new first years.

You do the math.

You need to get into the system – with a provisional student number - by 5 December to give yourself any chance of becoming a Madiba next year.

Here are some pointers to help you with the application process:

· Download a form from our website (www.nmmu.ac.za), print it out, complete it and either fax it back or personally deliver it to the university by 5 December.

· You can go straight to online applications www.nmmu.ac.za/apply

· If you need further guidance call our contact center on 051 5041111.

The application process is such that you will receive a student number which you can track to see how far you are in the system.

Apart from meeting the deadline with all the right documentation (school marks, a copy of your ID etc.), you also need to be real about your marks. Don’t apply to study Pharmacy, for example, if your Admission Point Score (APS) is presently 10 points below what is required for that degree.

But whatever you do, do not delay.

Get your application into the system before 5 December.

And do not consider the following “full” programmers as your first choice:

1. ND: Inventory and Stores Management

2. ND: Public Management

3. BTech: Public Management

4. ND: Agricultural Management

5. ND: Nature Conservation

6. ND: Agricultural Management Extended

7. BTech: Agricultural Management (George Campus)

8. BTech: Nature Conservation

9. BTech: Forestry (Full-time)

10. BTech: Radiography

11. ND: Logistics (Full-time)

12. BPharm

13. ND: Engineering: Civil

14. HCert: Business Studies

15. BTech: Management (Full-time)

16. ND; Forestry Extended

17. ND: Information Technology: Software Development

18. Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

19. ND: Logistics Extended

20. ND: Sport Management

21. ND: Game Ranch Management (George Campus)

22. Bachelor of Radiography (Brad)

23. ND: Human Resource Management (Full-time)

24. ND: Human Resource Management Extended


ND stands for National Diploma; BTech is the equalivalent of degree - your fourth year after completing a diploma; HCert is Higher Certificate and B is for Bachelor (a degree).

We look forward to welcoming you to NMMU next year … just get those applications in.

Our art students ... what were they thinking?

What are they thinking ... check out the art in K Block's studios

I find art fascinating. I might not know too much about it, but I find the result – the completed pieces of artwork – hugely interesting. I find some art beautiful, some blatantly ugly. Other pieces still, deathly dull.

But I am always intrigued.

What were they thinking?

I asked myself this question all over again – as I do every year – when I visited the Fine Art Graduate Exhibition in K block, North Campus, by our final year art students.

What were they thinking when they conceived their paintings, drawing, ceramics, glasswork and sculptures?

Both sculptures by Phiwokwakhe Tshona

What drove them to throw a myriad of three-dimensional shapes together to form giant kites? What caused a student to choose to merge man with frog, fox and elephant? What triggered an onslaught against diet cooldrink and media messaging; what pushed a student to delve in new techniques; what evoked the collection of thumb print …

Yes, it’s the thinking behind the art that intrigues me.

But let’s see what you think of the work by:

Robyn Munnick, Chelsea Bell, Kent Cairncross, Erica Fu, Gabriel Chaponda, Suzette Crafford, Sipho Makhanda, Namhla Mbalane, Neil de Lange, Sarah King, Justin Lucas, Pieter-Jan Kilian, Maqhawe Mkwanazi, Kyle Hamann, Nadia van der Merwe, Thabiso Patsi, Anja Roestorf, Ilse Volver, Dané Strydom, Phiwokwakhe Tshona, Sukesh Moodaley, Nadine Moolman, Midian Thackwray, Karen Yew-Sioung and Mandy Ndesi.

Their work can viewed until 4pm on 27 November.

The Fine Art work of the BTech students can also be viewed at the Athenaeum, Corner of Belmont Terrace and Military Road, Central, from 9am to 4pm daily, also until 27 November.

Three works by Dané Strydom

Glass works of famous faces

Digital print on enhanced matte by Sipho Makanda

Anja Roestorf' produced several skilful morphed drawings 

Midian Thackwray's wonderful mobiles and wall hangings are a show stopper  

Ceramic work titled the Puppet Master by Pieter-Jan Kilian 

A spider takes centrestage among the sculptures

Seeking a sense of self?  

Making art out of our identities?

A painting of a tumour

Archbishop Desmond Tutu by one of the Class of 2014

The long-awaited history of EC heroines

CELEBRATING STRONG WOMEN ... A glimpse of the exhibition panels that tell the fascinating stories of  Eastern Cape heroines

When I was at school, I hated history. It all just seemed to be about meaningless wars and expeditions in distant times and places. And dates, dates, dates. I dropped it as soon as I could.

But, as an adult, I’ve developed a love for past events, a curiosity for finding out why things happened – and I’ve discovered incidents and people far more interesting than the dreary textbook stuff we were force-fed at school.

Guest blogger Nicky Willemse

I was recently asked to edit the panels for NMMU’s upcoming exhibition, titled “The role of women in the shaping of Eastern Cape history”. I was educated, to say the least, reading about the achievements (often against all odds) of strong women from the late 1700s to the last century.

And I had a lightbulb moment.

I realised that in all the years of history I had to endure at school, the heroes profiled were men. In my junior school in Pietersburg/Polokwane (in the heart of Voortrekker country), we learned ad nauseum about the achievements of Jan van Riebeek, Piet Retief, Andries Pretorius, Andries Potgieter and others. Later, in Port Elizabeth, I was introduced to Bartholomew Dias, Vasco de Gama, Rufane Donkin.

All white men – at my white schools (I finished school in ’93).

Black leaders like Shaka and Dingaan were included too, but more as anti-heroes, conquests of the Brits and the boers.

At high school (Standard 6 and 7), history went overseas to World Wars and ongoing Middle-East conflict. But again, there was never a mention of any heroine.

Reading the panels was an eye-opener. How much more interesting history would have been had these women been included? People like Mary Elizabeth Barber, Nontetha Nkwenkwe and Yetta Barenblatt. No, of course, you haven’t heard of them.

Mary, a settler, was the Eastern Cape’s first botanist. She even used to exchange ideas with Charles Darwin. He even thanked her for her assistance in one of his publications.

Nontetha Nkwenkwe faded into obscurity because the government at the time was threatened by her and had her confined to one mental hospital after another, until she eventually died in isolation. There was nothing wrong with her, other than the fact that she was trying to make sense of a world where her long-held Xhosa traditions were being wiped out by colonisation. She did this by starting a church in the 1920s which preached a synthesis of Christian and Xhosa spirituality – she was influential and had a large following. And so she was locked up.

Industrialisation in the Eastern Cape brought with it the establishment of factories, which were filled with women. First white women, then coloured and later black women. Factories brought with them the trade unions, and many strong (but socially repressed) women suddenly had a voice, and they made it political. Irish-born Yetta Barenblatt was a skilled union negotiator in East London who would later become secretary of the Congress of Democrats and be detained during the 1960 State of Emergency.

I purposely chose these women, because they have faded into obscurity, but there are others profiled in the exhibition who are better-known: Saartjie Baartman, Dora Nginza, Molly Blackburn. Their stories are just as fascinating.

There are equally fascinating true tales of prostitution, assault and murder – real page-turning stuff. How could I ever have thought history dreary?

I know South Africa’s history textbooks have changed. I haven’t seen them, but I can only hope that they include some of the stories of these amazing women, who were working against the grain in strongly-patriarchal times (which we have not completely overcome yet).

These are stories that must be told.

• The exhibition – which includes factual and anecdotal information, poetry and photographs on 18 attractively-designed, ceiling-high panels – is on public display in the Archive Exhibition Centre on NMMU’s Second Avenue Campus, from Tuesday (25 November) to November next year.

'I met the developer'

Formulation Science students (from left) Mcquillan Moyo, Sindisiwe Bala, Angel Magudulela, Michelle Jacobs, Wesiwe Stephen, Ndumi Koza, Nandipa Nelani, Asanda Sihewula, Cloudius Sagandira

It astounds me what students come up with when no-one is watching. They develop products such as surface cleaner, wood oil preservative, environmentally friendly varnish, novel plasticisers, headlamp restorers and hair products.

Guest blogger Roslyn Baatjies

Talking to each of the product developers at the BSc (Hons) Formulation Science product exhibition, I learned how passionate they are about the course and their final product. For some of them, perfection is the only option, and they will further develop the products.

The entire setting was professional - from how they were dressed, to their presentation table to having product samples and flyers available. They knew their product – they developed it after all – and answered all the questions about it; and added additional information.

Not many of us would bring automotive paint and the eucalyptus tree together. That is exactly what Plascon employee Ndumi Koza did. Her product, Bio plasticizer EUCITREE, is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, it improves inter-coat adhesion between paint film and prevents the automotive paint from chipping. The mother of two says the journey has been challenging; yet rewarding.

Made from essentials oils like geranium and tea tree Zimbabwean student Mcquillan Moyo’s McClean surface cleaner is a one-stop kitchen hygiene solution. He explained to me that the product distinguishes itself from others because the essential oils inhibits the growth of bacteria; thus disinfecting the surfaces.

In her research, Michelle Jacobs asked if people ever get annoyed by the smell of paint and how sure they are that the paint they apply to their walls and trims is safe for the family. Keeping the safety aspect in mind she developed a superior quality varnish for interior use. Easy to apply with a glossy durable finish and no odour, it makes it suitable for all interior wood surfaces.

And as I listened to Sindisiwe Bala, Angel Magudulela, Wesiwe Stephen, Nandipa Nelani, Asanda Sihewula and Cloudius Sagandira explain their products to me, I realised that if they keep it up they are headed for the big time.

I tried to get samples of the products but left with nothing because they were watching. But when I see it on the shelves in the future, I will be able to say “I met the developer”.

Kicking failure into touch – and remembering Ubuntu

ALUMNI ACHIEVERS … The winners at NMMU’s annual Alumni Awards evening on Monday were (from left) Dr Amber Anderson, Dr Hanningtone Gaya, Nomkhita Mona, Baxolile Mabinya, Nicholas Hafner, Deon Schoeman, Tracy Cheetham and Garret Barnwell.

By Guest Blogger (Nicky Willemse)

This week, NMMU celebrated the cream of its alumni crop – those who have graduated from the institution and gone on to achieve great things.

People like South African cricket coach Russell Domingo, Tracy Cheetham, who manages SKA SA (Square Kilometre Array South Africa), the biggest science project in the world, wine guru Nicholas Hafner and Dimension Data’s Baxolile Mabinya, who is the group’s strategy director for the Middle East and Africa.

Then there was author Isla Morley, Coca-Cola Fortune’s HR exec Dr Amber Anderson, the president of the South African Association of Doctors Without Borders, Garret Barnwell, Kenyan brand and marketing authority, Dr Hanningtone Gaya, and the founder of Klinicare Pharmacies, Deon Schoeman. And one of last year’s winners, Safcol CEO Nomkhita Mona, was also in town to belatedly collect her award.

It was a glittering event with speeches galore – some short, some (a tad) long, some clever, some humorous.

But in the speeches, there were two common threads – and that’s what really stood out most for me.

The first was that a number of these top achievers had experienced failure along the line. In fact, three of them were hauled over the coals as university students for dismal marks and told to buck up or get out. Deon’s pharmacy lecturer, appalled at Deon’s 19% for a test, told him he wasn’t a “pharmacist’s backside”. Tracy’s told her she had to improve her marks or get kicked out of architecture, while Isla’s lecturer called her essay a “howler” – when she asked what he meant, he said it was so bad, it had made him howl with laughter.

They could have lost heart, fallen out the system, tried something else (as other students have probably done). Instead, they chose to prove their lecturers wrong – and have gone on to excel beyond their lecturers’ and, more importantly, their own expectations.

For these three individuals, those comments marked a turning point in their lives, where they shifted gear from mediocre to excellent.

A little bit of failure can work wonders.

The other thread that stood out was the spirit of Ubuntu. Just about all the recipients thanked those in their lives who had helped them get to where they are today. Many recited the Ubuntu philosophy: I am because you are.

Their achievements are not theirs alone. They are the result of the endless support of parents, spouses, lecturers – and their awards are an indication not just of the talent of the recipients, but the talent of the people and places that have “grown” them.

Congratulations to all.

And as you go forward, “just believe” (to quote the catchy mantra of Computing Science’s Prof Jean Greyling, as recounted by award recipient Baxolile).

Just believe … in yourself, in your ability, in the things that keep you going forward (your faith, family, friends, colleagues – all the things you mentioned in your speeches) – and keep making your alma mater, city, region and country proud.

Excellence is for us all

NMMU's Marketing and Corporate Relations team subscribes to excellence 

Excellence. It’s a scary word, is excellence. Well, for this typical “above average” student it is. That’s because it denotes special achievement, outstanding capabilities, top of the class …

It is something with which I had never been familiar nor thought possible until I came to Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. I had happily accepted that my EQ (emotional quotient) was far higher than my IQ (intelligence quotient) and that excellence was an elitist privilege reserved for the brainy few. (And certainly not for the likes of me).

NMMU changed all that.

I now know that excellence has nothing to do with brains, and everything to do with attitude and habit.

Excellence is one of the university’s six values.

And, as I now understand it, excellence is about striving and working to be the best that you can be or your team can be. It’s not just about being the best.

It’s about getting the best out of yourself, regardless of the quotients of emotional and intelligence with which you are blessed. It’s about attaining top standards; standards to which others aspire; it’s about inspiring others to follow your shining example.

NMMU's MCR team won the most awards at their annual Excellence Awards conference for higher education

Or to quote Aristotle, it’s about: “What we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit”. In other words, if the will to win, the desire to succeed and the urge to reach your full potential are key – then unlock the door to personal excellence.

That’s what NMMU inspires us to do – and certainly the team within Marketing and Corporate Relations has personally inspired me to strive for excellence.

What joy then to be named the top institution in higher education and training when it comes to marketing, communication and branding.

The inaugural Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence went to NMMU’s Marketing and Corporate Relations (MCR) Department for winning the most excellence (eight) and merit (nine) awards in 2014. We have bragging rights for a year! (But we won’t be doing that since bragging is not an excellent or responsible thing to do.)

We’ve benchmarked ourselves against other universities and come out on top thanks to our commitment to excellence and professionalism.

We may not have the biggest budget or the largest marketing or communications team, but we possibly have the most creative, hardest-working group of individuals who understand the need to be excellent in what they do – and are excellent in the service they provide in promoting and positioning NMMU.

Well done team MCR!

For the curious, the awards were for following:

Merit

Social media – Micro Blogging for its NMMU4U Twitter handle

Electronic media – Live streaming of graduation 2014

Printed publications (external) – Reasons to be Proud

Integrated campaigns (events) – Graduation 2014

Printed publications (external) – Undergrad guide & Z-card

Social media – Social networks Facebook

Printed publications (internal) – talk@nmmu

Electronic media (Mobile Apps) – My NMMU

Electronic media (Mobi Sites) – NMMU Mobisite



Excellence (above 80%)

Integrated campaigns (branding) – Where dreamers become doers (NMMU’s national branding) campaign

Printed publications (internal) – Student Diary 2014

Advertising (broadcast) – TV and radio see http://ow.ly/EoxeA

Audiovisual (video) – values ambassadors see http://ow.ly/EoxxM

Printed publications (external) – In Touch

Integrated campaigns (student recruitment) – Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Programme

Integrated campaigns (marketing) – Undergrad Closing Date campaign

Advertising (outdoor advertising) – Billboards: schools, airports