To mark mental health awareness month, the student support office is visiting residences and student accommodations to educate students about how to manage stress.
Forty students turned up for the Wits SRC student support office’s first event to kick off mental health awareness month, on April 25, at Apex Studios Accommodation in Braamfontein.
The mental health drive is a student wellbeing initiative that will see SRC student support officer, Lisa Sibaca and a team of various panellists going to different student accommodations and residences to discuss mental health.
At Apex Studios, each of the five panellists tackled a different topic relating to mental health in an interactive discussion that saw students asking questions and engaging in conversation with the panellists.
First was SRC student support member, Thato Lebitso, who addressed a topic that most students in the audience felt strongly about as it received a lot of interaction and feedback from the audience – “burnout syndrome”. He described it as “unsuccessfully managed chronic stress”.
Lebitso explained that, although all students deal with stress, not all students deal with burnout syndrome. The key factor which distinguishes the two is the way stress is managed. He said stress was a natural part of life and of being a student as there were always deadlines to meet or exams and tests to plan for.
However, when students do not manage their stress in a healthy way and plan their activities and obligations in detail, this leads to chronic stress which could possibly lead to burnout, Lebitso said. He identified six steps that students could implement to manage stress and avoid burnout.
Thato Lebitso’s six steps to manage stress and to avoid burnout. Infographic: Terri-Ann Brouwers
This resonated with one of the students in attendance, Lebogang Sekhitlu (23) who said, “Once you can identify [burnout], I think you can limit the harm it does.”
The drive will continue till Tuesday, May 16, and staff from the Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) would take part, so that students could be aware of the resources available to them.
“It is very easy to blame a student for not working or performing academically, but they’re suffering in terms of their mental health, so, we’re here to offer solutions,” said Sibaca. Omphile Seqhee (19), Apex Studios’ well-being and outreach student life intern, told Wits Vuvuzela that she was more than happy to collaborate with the SRC student support office by bringing the drive to their accommodation. She was happy that students got tips on how to deal with academic stress as that is what causes students to have the most mental health struggles.
FEATURED IMAGE: SRC student support officer, Lisa Sibaca, and her team of panellists engage with the audience at a mental health drive event at Apex Studio Accommodation, Braamfontein. Photo: Terri-Ann Brouwers
Men’s Res FC midfielder Obakeng Leping and Knockando winger Lehlohonolo Ramoreboti sprinting towards the ball as the spectators watch on. Photo: Otsile Swaratlhe
Teams play a friendly match, to force the Wits Internal League’s hand, after fixtures postponed.
Knockando FC failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead as Men’s Res FC came back from behind, equalising in the 87th minute in a friendly match at Wits Digs Field on Saturday, May 6.
In what was supposed to be part of the second round of fixtures in the Wits Internal Football League, the teams could not allow their match to be postponed yet again.
The match initially scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, was put on ice following concerns over security. Mhleli Sibeko (27), a subcommittee member of the league said in the past fights that have broken out during this fixture “[the league] must take other things into consideration before [Men’s Res and Knockando] are allowed to play.”
The match started in Men’s Res’ favour who showed dominance over Knockando during the first 20 minutes of the first half by creating the most chances and having great possession of the ball. Their failure to convert that dominance into goals was to be punished in the 24th minute by a goal from Knockando’s striker Kulani Khoza.
Men’s Res continued to keep the ball away from Knockando but they were caught getting a bit too comfortable with being in possession approaching the 34th minute. Men’s Res goalkeeper Ntando Mvundlela attempted to pass the ball from the back and Knockando striker, Lehutso Matsimela quickly intercepted the misdirected pass, scoring a second goal.
Men’ Res FC defender Tshepo Mothiba running to retrieve the ball as his teammate watches on in the background. Photo: Otsile Swaratlhe
Knockando’s defence eventually gave in to Men’s Res’ extensive pressure towards the end of the first half when Owami Cele scored to make the score 2-1.
Halftime proved to be important for Men’s Res as they came back stronger in the second 45-minutes of the match. They almost scored in the 64th minute when Mooze Magangane had a one-on-one opportunity – with only the goalkeeper to beat – and missed the target.
After 8-minutes, Men’s Res striker Siphamandla Msipha was brought down in Knockando’s 18-yard area but the cries for a penalty fell on deaf ears as no foul was awarded.
Knockando only had two attacking opportunities in the second half but none of them were on-target.
After crossing the 85th minute mark with Knockando still leading, it looked like they might end up winning the match.
However, the 87th minute proved otherwise as Msipha had the last kick of a well worked team goal to end the game at 2-2.
After failing to get official communication from the league, the managers of both teams brought the teams out on Saturday to “show the management that [Men’s Res and Knockando] can put their rivalry aside for the love of the beautiful game,” said Knockando’s manager, Mpumelelo Msani (23).
It remains unknown as to when this match will be officially played in the internal league.
FEATURED IMAGE: Men’s Res FC defender Sandile Mlala (right) being challenged for the ball by Knockando FC striker Lehutso Matsimela (left). Photo: Otsile Swaratlhe
Wits student with a motor disability successfully completes her degree despite odds being stacked against her
At 18-month-old, Holly Heinzelmann was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after her parents realised that she was not achieving the milestones that most children her age were reaching.
The diagnosis made it difficult for her to navigate life in a world that still has barriers that inhibit disabled people to thrive. However, Heinzelmann was determined to obtain a university degree, despite the challenges she faced.
In April, she achieved her goal by obtaining her degree, majoring in genetics and developmental biology as well as ecology and conservation. “In general, graduating is a huge achievement for anyone, but specifically for disabled people,” she explained to Wits Vuvuzela.
Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term which refers to a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Heinzelmann’s affected areas are her muscle tone in her legs, and maintaining balance, as a result, she is unable to walk without aid or a walking frame. To get around — because campus is big — she used a mobility scooter.
Heinzelmann’s troubles would however not end there. After battling covid-19 in 2020, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2021. This added to the list of things she had to take into consideration when coming into campus daily, as she would have to ensure that she takes her insulin and has snacks on her to keep her blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
Although she is soft-spoken and meek in her demeanour, when it came to taking on the extra challenge she was faced with, Heinzelmann did it fiercely and relentlessly by continuing to show up and do the work that was required of her.
Her mother, Meredith Heinzelmann told Wits Vuvuzela that Disability Rights Unit (DRU) helped her daughter navigate the university environment. “DRU is fantastic, and they do a fantastic job, they’ve certainly contributed to a very positive university experience for her [Holly], but there are still issues that are beyond their control like lifts not working”.
Holly Heinzelmann and her parents, Carl and Meredith Heinzelmann the day of her graduation at the Disability Rights Unit office. Photo: Supplied/Holly Heinzelmann
The DRU is a support unit at Wits that helps students with various disabilities. They do this by creating awareness around disabilities, making campus more accessible to these students and helping them receive reasonable accommodation.
Heinzelmann said that the unit allowed her to keep her mobile scooter in their offices overnight to charge. This greatly helped her as it would have been too difficult for her to transport her scooter to and from campus daily.
“If a lift stopped working and I couldn’t get to a lecture and needed to change my lecture venue I would just go to the DRU. They would assist in the engagement with the lecturers and course administration,” Heinzelmann added.
She said the unit also assisted her to get extra time when writing exams, as the muscle tone in the lower half of her body would cause her to slouch if she sat for too long. This would affect her writing speed.
Iman Cakirerk, a fellow Witsie and friend of Heinzelmann said that she would express her frustration about the lack of accessibility in certain labs on campus, but she always found a way to get around them.
Heinzelmann will continue her postgraduate degree in law at Wits, and she encouraged people living with disabilities to also consider studying despite how hard it might be.
FEATURED IMAGE:Graduate and cerebral palsy warrior Holly Heinzelmann (21) standing in front of the DRU’s offices on the day of her graduation. Photo: Supplied/Holly Heinzelmann
The Graduate Recruitment Program hosted over 20 companies to meet with students studying towards a degree in the STEM fields.
The Wits Graduate Recruitment Program (GRP) hosted a career fair for students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — STEM — at the Wits Science Stadium this week.
Many companies had useful guidance to offer students such as encouraging them to not overlook interpersonal skills. “Don’t always worry about marks, sometimes having a good personality and a can-do attitude gets you in the door”, a team member from Huawei said to students who were asking about their academic performance.
The fair is part of the work of the GRP of equipping students with useful information in different fields relating to their degree, while also encouraging all students to explore various career options.
Recruitment agencies such as Afrizan People Intelligence, alongside big companies such as Huawei, Outsurance, and KPMG, were there, offering a range of different career choices and advice to students.
Most of the companies focused on explaining to students what they offer if the students choose to work for them while also answering questions they might have about the field.
Companies such as Steinmuller Africa were scouting aspiring engineers for employment while other companies such as Huawei were offering bursaries to students in computer science and information technology related fields.
STEM Career Fair Sign on a chalkboard outside the CCDU centre next to the Wits Science Stadium, advertising the fair’s details. Photo: Georgia Cartwright
Despite the large turnout of different companies, some students were unhappy with the lack of employers in fields such as pharmaceutical and biomedical science. Zamokuhle Nhlangothi, a second-year biomedical science student told Wits Vuvuzela that he felt the event did not cater toward biomed students who are trying to get into the science industry.
However, Ndlovu emphasizes the importance of using the event to brand yourself by speaking with the various companies and to get to know your options.
Adding to Ndlovu’s point, GRP Officer, Bongi Ndlovu said the fair does not limit students by degree and that they must take advantage of all the opportunities provided to brand themselves because “networking is key.”
When asked what students should do to get the most out of the fair, Sasha Riccardi, an Afrizan recruiter told Wits Vuvuzela, “Don’t be dismissive, always hear people out because you never know who holds the key to your next opportunity.”
The fair also had a Best Company Award where students could vote for which firm they had found to be the most helpful and informative — and ABSA won the award.
The GRP is planning three more career fairs this year that will cater to students in different fields. On May 3 and 4, for accounting students; July 21, for all degrees and on September 12 will be for students who are pursuing their postgraduate degrees.
FEATURE IMAGE: First year Biomedical Students: Mikayla De Koker, Amel Du Preez, Sharon Manganya, Oratile Molawa, Nkateko Ntlhabyane, and Zamokuhle Nhlangothi stading and posing in front of Accenture’s stand, who were offering a multitude of careers from strategic management to consulting. Photo: Georgia Cartwright
After discovering the root of my depression and anxiety, it became clear why stress is referred to as “the silent killer”.
At only 20 years old, I found myself sitting on my bed with a handful of pills ready to take my own life. I was tired of how I was feeling, and I wanted it to end.
Two years earlier, in 2016, I had taken a gap year after I did not get accepted into any university I had applied to. I was embarrassed because in my community there is a stigma attached to taking a gap year.
I was constantly being asked: “What are you doing with your life now?” and “Doing nothing this year will make you lazy.” While at a funeral, grieving, someone said, “Your brother didn’t take a gap year, so why are you?”
This constant comparisons to my brother who went to university straight out of school hit me hard. So did seeing my peers move forward while I felt stagnant, and constantly feeling as if I was disappointing my parents. I started doing admin work at our church office and applied again. I eventually got accepted in 2017 for a higher certificate in journalism.
I could have gone on to work as a journalist, but my plan was always to get an undergraduate degree first. When I received a rejection letter from UCT, I remember feeling embarrassed and like a failure again. Fortunately, I was admitted for an undergraduate degree in copywriting at Vega.
Within the first two weeks I knew the course was not for me, but I decided to complete the year and switch to a different university or degree programme the following year. As time went on, I found myself feeling sad and angry all the time and going to class made me feel so anxious, I would cry every day.
My breaking point came the day I received my mark for an assignment that I had worked on day and night – 37%. After that soul-crushing moment, I left campus early without telling anyone, and stopped at two different pharmacies to get as many pills as I could.
As I sat on my bed later, the stress of dropping out was too much. So was the stress of continuing with the programme. I was ready to end my life. At that very moment, a friend messaged me: “Are you okay?” I am alive today because of that message.
Since then, there have been a few more instances when I have felt the only way out was to take my own life. In 2022 I started seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist. What came out of these sessions was not only an ADHD diagnosis, but the fact that I have clinical depression and general anxiety disorder.
The root cause of my mental illnesses was revealed as stress. In the sessions with my therapist, we found a pattern. Whenever life became what felt like unbearably stressful, I would reach such a low that I would only see suicide as the only way out. This discovery is what saved me.
The constant stress I had been under since 2016 had taken its toll on me mentally. I realised that I had suppressed my emotions because life was stressful for everyone, and I thought not being able to handle the pressure would make me seem weak.
Looking back, there are many things I would do differently. I would pay attention to the feelings of hopelessness and the lows that were not just a bad day but would stay constantly with me.
A clinical professor at Brown University, Carol Landau says that the impact of stress on depression is “one of the most important problems of our time”. I would like to echo her sentiments and add that it is one that we should treat with the seriousness it requires.
Defending champions FNB UP-Tuks will play in the Varsity Shield next season after their Round 6 defeat by FNB Wits.
FNB Wits secured a historic win over the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) in the Varsity Cup on Monday, March 27, with a 77th minute try and conversion, for a score of 33-21.
Wits had an impeccable start with flyhalf Setshaba Mokoena scoring a try in the sixth minute and shortly thereafter, Wian De Lange and Lindo Ncusane scoring two more tries with successful conversions. UP-Tuks fought back with wing Bayanda Ngubane scoring a try with a conversion, however, Wits maintained their 19-7 lead by the end of the first half.
Tuks gained ground in the second half with eighth-man Divan Venter and centre Zander Reynders scoring point-of-origin tries in the final quarter, earning the Pretoria team bonus points for a total of 21. However, Wits managed to keep up the pressure with lock Hendrick Gouws scoring a try and prop Banele Mthenjane winning the game for the Witsies, relegating the defending champions to play in the Varsity Shield next season.
Afterwards, Wits player, Dameon Venter, told Wits Vuvuzela that, “We prepared really well and understood that if we just stuck to our plan the result would [yield] itself.” He added that their strategy for the rest of the season involved, “taking each challenge week by week [as we] have set clear goals to go all the way and make history”.
Supporters of the Braamfontein team came out in their numbers to cheer the home side. After the game, Jack Du Toit, a third-year civil engineering student said, “It is my first time watching a live game and it is an awesome experience to see good vibes and students having fun because [that] is what Varsity Cup is all about, bringing people together.”
Tuks third-year psychology student Pepi Mushayabasa was disappointed at the result, saying, “[Tuks] had the potential to do better if there were more Tuks supporters [because] the vibe isn’t there for them.”
Wits will play the FNB NWU Eagles in Round 7 at the Wits Stadium, on April 3, 2023.
UP-Tuks player, Johannes Mare and Witsie, George Devenish reach for the ball during a lineout in their Round 6 game in the Varsity Cup on March 27, 2023 at the Wits Rugby Stadium. Photo: Georgia Cartwright
FEATURED IMAGE: FNB Wits Rugby players face off in a scrum against UP-Tuks during a Varsity Cup Round 6 match on March 27, 2023 at the Wits Rugby Stadium. Photo: Georgia Cartwright
As Wits centenary celebrations wrapped up, the SRC reunion showed that council members still hold dear the principles of justice from their student activism days.
In episode six of We Should Be Writing season 7, the team unpacked the evolution of music as a form of expression and protest, through four decades in the South African context. The episode explores the journey of South African music and its consumers from the 80s, 90s, early 2000s and contemporary listeners. From the […]
