Letter from the Editor February 2016
Administrator Sade Prinsloo sade.prinsloo@nmmu.ac.za Editor Emily van Heerden s214063216@nmmu.ac.za Assistant Editors Vasti Visser s213436795@nmmu.ac.za Lazola Dyasi s211075492@nmmu.ac.za News Editor Dana Hyde s214088103@nmmu.ac.za Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor Yonga Jizana s213374072@nmmu.ac.za Sports Editor Kahl Kritzinger s214039862@nmmu.ac.za Science and Tech Editor Brendan Smit s215077512@nmmu.ac.za Blog Gabriella Groepe s211129828@nmmu.ac.za Desginers Inka Niedermeier s211133175@nmmu.ac.za Nkhondo Chirwa s212240315@nmmu.ac.za Zhandre Brass s214229823@nmmu.ac.za Siyabonga Msindwana s211160652@nmmu.ac.za
This is a student-run newspaper. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
Welcome to NMMYou’s first edition of 2016! This year has already seen quite a lot of change for our Newspaper, not only in terms of our team members, but also in terms of our branding and our strategies. We are very fortunate to have some old dogs on our team- ones who bring experience from last year- and we are also fortunate to have newbies who bring a fresh touch to our Newspaper. I like to consider myself as an old dog; I served on the 2015 team as the News Editor and am very honoured to now serve the students of NMMU as the Editor-in-Chief. A bit about me- I am a 3rd and final year BA MCC student, focusing on Graphic Design, Journalism and Public Relations. I love languages and being able to use them to express myself as best as I can. Therefore, writing is something that I am very passionate about. I am very excited to be a part of this team, to play a part in affording writers the opportunity to have their talents and passions showcased, and to ensure that our students have access to the latest news and information from and around the NMMU community. Therefore, without further ado, our February edition is where you will find all your first year guides on surviving university, be given more information on a new scholarship programme that has been birthed as a result of our VC, Prof Derrick Swartz’s Mount Fiji Funds Climb, get the lowdown on the coolest tech tips for when you’re both on and off campus, and celebrate the successes of our NMMU Cheerleaders, amongst others. A lot of hard work has gone into this edition, and I just want to stop for a moment and commend the great team of writers, photographers, editors and designers for producing high quality work in such a short amount of time, especially for those who are serving on our team for the very first time. I would also like to take a moment to thank the two wonderful ladies who brought this Newspaper into being and nurtured it through its erratic but very rewarding baby/ toddler stages- Sadé Prinsloo (administrator) and Nicole Downing (2015 Editor-inChief). Nicole, thank you for pushing me to work my best on this Newspaper. You are undoubtedly the one who created the spark within me to see this Newspaper flourish and I hope I do you right by doing just that. Thank you for your guidance, friendship and regular check-ins. I appreciate you! Sadé, you are, 100%, the best aspect of this Newspaper. Your support, advice and care is what has allowed me to do my job so well this month. Thank you for taking me under your wing, for showing me the ropes and for reminding me to breathe every once in a while. I look forward to taking the Newspaper to greater heights with you this year. To our readers, we hope that you enjoy reading this edition as much as we enjoyed working on it! Good luck for the rest of first semester and always remember to keep smiling and shining! Best regards,
Emily van Heerden