LIFT-OFF
WELL DONE!
Three Interior Design students (Kasha Botha, Ayasanga Mendu and Desree Lukhele) were finalists in the 2015/2016 DTI Furniture Design Competition and got an opportunity to exhibit at this years’ Design Indaba. Desree won second prize and received prize money of R2 000 and a Waecom tablet. The students were also interviewed on several radio stations.
To win
this SALT
& PEPPER
GRINDER SET,
Architecture students with models of benches they designed as part of the Cool Capital PPC Bench Project. Can't wait to see which benches will eventually be constructed? Well, you’ll have to wait until the City’s Cool Capital Biennale in September/October.
TAKE A SEAT
please send your name and cell number to heita@tut.ac.za on or before 27 May. Mark the subject field: S&P
The best part of being a lecturer is
knowing that you are making a difference in someone’s life. As a lecturer, you should be seen as a role player in industry. Your role is not just to impart crucial, cognitive knowledge, but also to change someone for the better. Your dedication and passion should rub off on your students. After all, they are the future generation. There is no time to make mistakes. Time is of the essence – CHERYL OGILVIE, Lecturer of the Year (Faculty of Science).
COVER Pic(K)
Visual Communication (Photography) student, OFENTSE TLHOLOE, captured this beautiful image. Read more about him on Page 5.
BUDDING JOURNO
ROOKIE REPORTER
tells it like it is
The newsroom is not new to Marc (Tammy) Keppler (20), a third-year Journalism student, who is currently doing an internship at the Afrikaans daily newspaper, Beeld. Heita! interviewed the rookie reporter.
TELL US ABOUT THE MOST INTERESTING STORY THAT YOU’VE COVERED SO FAR? It is about an eight-year-old boy from Limpopo who is suffering from heart and liver cirrhosis. His biggest dream is to be part of the South African Army. The Reach For A Dream Foundation made his dream come true by taking him to the Army base in Wallmanstahl where he had the opportunity to do everything a real soldier does.
AND THE LEAST INTERESTING? It was about a man who tried smuggling frogs out of the country. He didn’t have the correct papers or a permit to transport the animals. They were then taken to the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria where they were kept in quarantine.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD JOURNALIST? Always be objective. Whether you are a fan of someone or not, don’t let your personal views of people get in the way of your job.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT IN THE REAL WORLD THAT YOU WEREN’T TAUGHT AT VARSITY? That people can be very rude and intimidating. But, you have to keep your cool at all times. When you are in the field and you are covering a violent story, you have to be able to think on your feet. While you are busy with interviews, you have to observe everything going on around you. You also have to duck and dive to dodge objects that can hurt you.
HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT? I DON’T FOLLOW THE NEWS ANYMORE. IT MAKES ME SAD AND DEPRESSED. Why don’t you follow the news? Don’t you want to be informed about what is going on around you? If the news depresses you, what do you think the journalists are going through daily? They are humans too. They have to witness brutal killings, racism antics etc. and wena you are depressed.
YOUR MOM, VIRGINIA, IS A WELL-KNOWN JOURNALIST. WAS IT AN OBVIOUS CHOICE TO FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS? No, not at all. I wanted to be a lawyer. But, I guess that was just a phase. I literally grew up in the newsroom. I was the only child for five years, and for the first two years of my life my mom would take me to work with her because I was just the friendliest baby ever. When I was doing Grade 5, my school sent me to a workshop at Beeld where they taught us how to put together a newspaper. In Grade 6, I was a journalist for our first school newspaper, and in Grade 7, I became editor. Since then, it grew on me. I would go to stories with my mom and observe people from a distance. We would rush to crime scenes at odd hours of the night. That is why I decided that this job is for me. I love the adrenaline that I get from this job, the strikes, the breaking stories, the drug dealers . . . All these things just make my job interesting. I want to report these stories to the people.
WHERE WILL WE FIND MARC IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? Oh, I don’t know. I absolutely love writing, but I want to be on television as well. In 5 years’ time, I see myself as a newsreader on SABC 2 (the Afrikaans news). It is also one of my dreams to be an investigative journalist. But, I don’t know what the future holds. I might just end up on CNN. Who knows?
Marc (Tammy) Keppler (20) sometimes has to duck and dive on stories she covers.
VICTORY
the
body
Winning rings resemble
Her winning design of two organic rings.
Mignon Daubermann (22), an M Tech Jewellery Design and Manufacture student, pocketed prize money of R150 000 as the overall winner of the 2015/2016 PPC Imaginarium Competition. She also won the Jewellery category of the competition.
Her winning design of two organic rings is inspired by the anatomy of the body. “I designed two rings replicating the shapes and forms of human bones. The shapes of these rings are organic and are designed with flowing lines. One ring covers two fingers, while the larger ring covers three fingers,” she tells Heita!
The rings can be worn together as they complement one another’s shapes and colour, but they can also be worn separately. One ring is made of white cement with green stones, while the other ring’s concrete is coloured to a natural olive green.
The green binds the two designs together and gives the pieces an organic and natural feel.
“The inspiration plays on the idea that both concrete and bones are resilient as well as fundamental for the strength of the entire physical entity – be it a human body or structure. Concrete and bones have long-lasting characteristics. They are usually what is left behind after the outer shell is gone,” she says.
“The concrete framework from an abandoned structure and the bones of a deceased body can still tell their story long after everything else has disappeared.”
Mignon adds that she is overwhelmed by the prize. “I did not expect to win as the other category winners had stunning work.”
Her lecturers, Dave and Nina Newman, are equally proud. “Mignon has consistently produced work of exceptional quality in all her subjects. All this hard work has paid off,” says Nina. “This is a well-deserved award and an accolade that has been four years in the making,” Dave concludes.
Mignon Daubermann (22)
SKATER BOY
Speed skater
FLIES OUR FLAG HIGH
Thabo Nyatlo (19), a Radiography student, is flying the TUT flag high as a speed skater. Last year, he qualified for the World Championships and was included in the SA Junior Team that represented the country in Taiwan.
The young athlete from Hamanskraal started skating when he was only seven years old. He says his late father has always been his greatest inspiration. He wanted him to be the best he could ever be.
Between being a full-time student, Thabo has to squeeze in at least three hours a week to practice.
He was introduced to the sport by his sister and cousin who are both skaters. Ironically, he now performs better than both of them.
He says Taiwan was the greatest experience of his life. “To compete head-to-head with the world’s best was both thrilling and intimidating.” Even though he lost in Taiwan, he has advanced his skills from the experience.
“Skating is my life. Growing up with the sport gave me the best upbringing ever,” he concludes.
“Skating is my life."
THABO’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE:
Qualifying for the SA Speed Skating NATIONAL TEAM.
Winning TWO GOLD MEDALS in the 2015 SA Speed Skating Championships.
Being named one of SA’S TOP 10 SPEED SKATERS for three consecutive years.
Being the first person in his family to TRAVEL ABROAD.
NATURALLY
OF NATURAL HAIR
“What sparked my interest was a relatively new trend among black women to wear their natural hair in public,” he says.
“It is as if somebody gave them a whole new meaning of the beauty of their hair. In the past, one would rarely find women wearing their natural hair, but now it has become a bit of a norm.”
He adds that the project is not about telling women who prefer wearing weaves and wigs that they are not beautiful. “It is rather meant to inspire them to be proud of their natural hair and to celebrate it without fear of not being accepted socially.”
Photos portray
Some of the 15 images that he captured to show the beauty of black women’s natural hair.
Jackey Masekela had a chat with Thembi Baloyi (27), TUT’s Sports
Woman of the Year 2015 (specialising in the
3 000m steeplechase, 4km cross country and 10km road running events), about her career in sports and where it all started.
Jackey Masekela
Thembi Baloyi
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNGSTERS WHO ARE ALSO INTO SPORT AND WHO ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE MORE IN LIFE? Pray, work hard and persevere. For success there will be blood, sweat and tears. Dedication is a recipe for a winner.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THEMBI BALOYI? I am currently preparing for the SA Track and Field Championships where I’ll be defending my SA title for the 3 000m steeplechase, and qualifying for the Southern Region Championships later in July to represent South Africa.
DIALOGUE
WHEN DID YOUR LOVE FOR ATHLETICS START? In 1999, at primary school when I started running for the first time in my life.
WHO INSPIRES YOU TO ACHIEVE MORE IN ATHLETICS, OR IN ANY OTHER SPHERE OF LIFE? My coach Mr Mlungisi ‘Jazz’ Mnyengeza. He is like a father and mentor to me and plays an important role in my life, not only in sports.
HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE NAMED TUT’S SPORTS WOMAN OF THE YEAR? Blessed and humbled due to my hard work with Coach Jazz during the year. It was one of our goals for the year. So, it was a bonus.
Ofentse Tlholoe (23)
Photography student, Ofentse Tlholoe (23) believes that the beauty of black women’s hair has not been exposed enough. Therefore, he has begun a project capturing 15 alluring images of black women, focusing on their hair.
heita!
STAY IN THE PICTURE
Heita! is an electronic student newsletter of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
It is edited and published by the Directorate of Corporate Affairs and Marketing.
EDITOR
Gerrit Bester
TEL 012 382 4306
WRITE TO US AT
LAYOUT
This publication may contain third party advertisements and links to third party sites. The Tshwane University of Technology does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information contained in these advertisements or sites and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties.
LANDING
The winner of the Coffee Mug Set is KATLEGO MOHOTJI (28), an IT Support Services student at the Soshanguve Campus.
MY VIEW MATTERS
It’s easy! All you have to do is answer the following
question (don’t fret, you should get the answer somewhere
in this edition): WHO IS TUT’S SPORTS WOMAN
OF THE YEAR 2015?
Please send your answer, name and contact number to heita@tut.ac.za before or on 27 May. Please mark the subject field: COMPETITION. The winner will be announced in the next edition. Only registered TUT students can enter. Good luck!
ZANELE RICHARD MLOTSHWA (22), a Marketing student at the Pretoria Campus, is the winner of the competition featured in Heita! Vol8 No.2 2016.
CONGRATULATIONS!
SPEND THE R300 WISELY.
win R300
All work and no play make Jack (and Jill) a dull boy (and girl).