AKSA

Page 14 CURRENT AFFAIRS

The AKSA Queens

BY: BRITNEY BROWN

With everyone trying to bring back the student life that once brought a spring to everyone ' s step, 'Value your Environment' week was no exception. The four day annual event which took place on the 28th-31st of March 2022 was designed to help lower the carbon footprint of the NWU students. It is during this week that students are given the opportunity to ensure that the campus environment is clean and healthy. How the ladies of our residence ensured that they did their part was by participating in the various activities that ran throughout the course of the week. These activities included a Life Hack video where the ladies displayed advice to the public on how to perform certain activities that can help save the environment. Second was Mr and Miss Environment, where we paired up with our buddy residence (sleep) Over-de-Voor where we designed a matching couples outfit made out of recyclable materials.

There were also great discussions held on solutions to environmental problems found on the NWU at the Great Debate, as well as at the Enviro-vision discussion. A new headache-inducing element that was introduced this year on the Potch campus: The monkeys . The residence submitted a possible petition detailing how the NWU could lower the rise of the number of monkeys. The AKSA Queens, as they ' re informally known in the residence, brought an ethical solution which did not involve any malicious suggestions against the monkeys we coexist with. The Current Affairs HC, Dorothy Masie, when asked about the overall outcome of the event said "One thing our residence prides itself in is the beauty and cleanliness of our garden. I confidently say that we as a residence could display this throughout the whole week, while still learning about new ways to aid us in keeping the environment that way. "

WELLNESS WEEK

BY: NEO MZILENI

The NWU took pride in hosting Wellness Week for the fifth consecutive year, believing that physical competition is the best way to encourage wellness. The annual event was held on the 16th-20th of May 2022 with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of creating a healthy work environment.

For this event, all residences were required to participate in the various activities designated to create or promote physical health.

Throughout the week, our residence played a significant role in participation. To begin, the residence hosted a Healthy Food Session with dietician Annike Moller, who taught the ladies how to live "healthier by eating healthier. " Our Kasteel sisters were also challenged to post a video on social media sharing healthy recipes that would be featured in the AKSA Eats Cook Book for this event. The second event was one sponsored by Thuso Health Care, SANBS, and the Department of Health that took place from May 17–19 and featured booths for blood donation, HIV testing, and other medical procedures. In this instance, our HC members were tasked with motivating the hostel ladies to stop by the stalls and engage in the health-related activities. The residence also collaborated with Over de Voor, our "Sleep/Buddies, " to set up booths in Lovers Lane to inform students about lung cancer and the risks associated with smoking.

Other events held that week included "Walk a Mile in My Shoes " with Victor Matfield and Angelique Gerber, in which all students walked a mile from the amfi to Catchet Park, following Victor and Angelique. The primary goal of this event was to raise awareness about Gender Based Violence. Following that was the "No Means NO" campaign with Katinka die Kat, as well as the "Healthy Habits Hack, " which promoted a healthier lifestyle and five of our Kasteel sisters and the AKSA HC engaged in personal training for physical activity.

As Queens, we understand the value of maintaining a healthy physical balance, so as a residence, we take pride in encouraging physical awareness and health. As a result, we make an effort to participate in activities that will not only improve our health but also foster a healthy working environment for all of us as hostel sisters.