UCT LEGACY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER LEGACY @ UCT UCT Legacy Society Comrades marathons to his credit. In his mid-50s, Russell is an all-rounder: historian, fundraiser, academic and former member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Human Rights Violation Committee, which was chaired by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. After completing a BA at UCT in 1979, a master’s at Rhodes University and a PhD René Nolte: UCT Legacy Officer. at Cambridge, he started off as a high he first half of 2014 is a thing of the past school history teacher in East London, later UCT LEGACY SOCIETY Tand we are moving ahead at full speed. moving to senior history researcher at Wits, Since last we communicated in December where he served on Senate and Council. there have been a lot of exciting changes in He has been published in leading journals fter much debate and research we have after the buildings and heritage of UCT. The the Development and Alumni Department. and has authored a book on South Africa’s Adecided to rebrand the UCT Heritage main objective of the UCT Legacy Society, We welcomed a new Executive Director mining industry. Society as the UCT Legacy Society. Legacy, however, is to ensure a secure future for future in the person of Dr Russell Ally, who took Prior to his appointment to UCT, Russell according to the dictionary, is ‘a gift of generations of UCT students and to allow over from Dr Jim McNamara who retired spent five years as the Ford Foundation’s property, especially personal property, as UCT to continue to thrive and grow in order the end of last year. Russell is a man on the programme officer for Southern Africa, money, by will; a bequest’. In the past there to meet forthcoming challenges. Legacy gifts run. Not only at work, where he scoots from overseeing their governance and civil has been a bit of confusion around the use will ensure that your hard-earned assets will one meeting to the other, but as a fervent society programme in South Africa, of the word ‘Heritage’, as the perception was continue to benefit society for many decades road runner with nine Two Oceans and nine Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. that we as a society are mandated to look to come. Legacy events: UCT Legacy Society Guest lecture at summer school 25 January 2014 5 January saw the controversial Professor 2Tim Noakes delivering the UCT Legacy Society Guest Lecture at the 2014 Summer School. Lecture Theatre K1 at Kramer was packed as Tim spoke on Clarity out of Confusion – Which eating plan is best for my health? The lecture turned into a heated debate as members of the audience wanted to know what made him do a 360° turn on his promotion of 100-Up celebrations. carbo loading. Tim had some excellent retorts and used numerous examples of case studies Professor Sakhela Buhlungu – His Vision that followed the new high protein – low carb for the Faculty of Humanities – 26 February diet with excellent results. All’s well that ends well. Tim’s book The real meal Revolution was Johannesburg and 11 March Port Elizabeth on sale at the post lecture reception and within 30 minutes they were all sold out. rofessor Sakhela assumed the position of developing a sense of confidence and belief PDean of the Faculty of Humanities at the in learners’ abilities. University of Cape Town in January 2014 and The programme consists of: UCT Birthday Bash this was an opportunity to introduce him to Residential camps: Learners attend UCT Alumni outside of Cape Town. Sakhela campus-based workshops that include 2 April 2014 spoke about his vision over the next few years, academic and psycho-social development; he UCT Birthday Bash was held in the particularly for the arts and education. He is Grade 11 & 12 tutoring: Saturday new EBE building on Upper Campus. A an eloquent speaker with a wonderful talent classes at UCT, focusing especially T lovely event arranged by UCT DAD on which for storytelling and a good sense of humour. on maths, science, accounting and we piggy-backed. This was also a last Alumni As it will be difficult to cover everything literary skills; event for DVC Prof Thandabantu Nhlapo who he said, I would like to highlight one of the Grade 10 tutoring: Weekly academic is leaving UCT after 24 years of involvement excellent UCT projects run by Prof Jonathan tutoring in Khayelitsha; with the institution. As usual Jessica Lyon Clarke of the SDU (School Development Unit) Gill net: Additional students in the final excelled on the catering side and her efforts The project is called: ‘100-Up’. year, bringing the cohort to 184 grade included a beautiful UCT birthday cake. This The crisis in South African public schools 12 learners for 2013; and was accompanied by some good music, has a direct impact on universities. Many Orientation: Support in the application comedy and South African wine. learners who attend township and rural process, financial aid applications, schools perform poorly in the matric NBT (entrance exam) assistance and examinations, which results in relatively few career guidance. Seven Khayelitsha Legacy Lunch – London 9 May 2014 of them qualifying for tertiary studies at learners who were not on the 100-Up institutions such as the University of Cape or Gill Net programmes were assisted pure ‘Ikey’ – warm and friendly. We had alumni Town (UCT). 100-Up is a UCT project with orientation and admission through from all walks of life including, Health Sciences, that aims to address the problem of under- the initiative. Law, Humanities, Education (not there anymore) representation by targeting school learners The results of the first cohort of 100-Up Architecture and many more. And a rowdy from disadvantaged backgrounds and learners in 2014 demonstrate the significant bunch they were – enjoying good South African coaching them towards access to university. impact of the programme: wine and food. The programme is a holistic initiative that All 184 learners of the 100-Up project Charles McGregor, member of the London builds intellectual, social and cultural passed matric, 173 achieved university UCT board of trustees, gave a very interesting capital. The pilot project started in 2011 level passes; and talk on where UCT is placed as a university on in Khayelitsha, with five Grade 10 learners 97 learners received acceptance letters to the bigger playing fields, as well as the vision identified from each of the 20 high schools study at UCT. 72 accepted and the rest for the future. Interesting questions were posed in the area. A new cohort of learners has took up offers at other universities. This and it turned into an excellent debate. been recruited each year since then. figure has more than doubled, compared n a blustery Friday, Angela Edwards from The Alexander family, donors of the Leah The aim of 100-Up is to strengthen with 29 in 2013. Three learners appeared Othe London DAD office and I had the Gamsa Sixpence Award, generously handed over students’ abilities in a number of core on the Western Cape Education pleasure of hosting 25 alumni (mostly donors) a cheque to Angela, in the order of £2 500. academic areas. It provides opportunities to Department Merit List, one receiving an at the exciting South African-owned Vivat The networking afterwards was heartfelt acquire skills and experiences in preparation outstanding award for achievement amid Bacchus restaurant in Farringdon. Even though and a strong sense of unity towards UCT for tertiary studies, while at the same time adverse circumstances. it was cold outside the atmosphere inside was was tangible. Dialougues of the Carmelites – Baxter Theatre Morning Melodies – 28 May 2014 12 June 2014 efore the performance of Poulanc’s stamina given that each act lasted an hour Bopera members of the UCT Legacy and a half. The voice of each and every Society met for a quick dinner and talk by one of the performers was extraordinarily assistant to the director Niel Barry Moss. beautiful and powerful. UCT Opera School The story of Carmelites is about a can indeed be proud of the calibre of pathologically fearful girl who takes refuge singers that they produce. No wonder they in an order of Carmelite nuns only to share take the professional opera world by storm their martyrdom in the French Revolution. once they graduate from UCT. The synopsis of the story and a discussion of Christine Crouse’s direction was extremely the background of the play by Niel helped well thought through and especially the to set the scene of a simple tragedy, rich in final scene was particularly powerful in its the emotions of fear, love and wonder. imagery and symbolism. As the nuns were Conductor and musical director Kamal led to their execution, singing the moving Khan played the piano with power and ‘Salve Regina’, they formed a cross on the energy throughout a feat of extraordinary stage. As each nun was guillotined, so her voice would be extinguished yet the power and volume of the chorus did not diminish embers of the UCT Legacy Society inspired by Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, until the last few nuns were left. The slow Mwere invited to attend a performance performed with boundless enthusiasm, build up was well worth the wait for this of the Morning Melodies Series at the made this concert enjoyable and inspiring. hauntingly beautiful finale. Baxter Theatre. Titia Blake (violin), Michael There was also the added bonus of Ross’s As attested by the sheer variety in the Hoole (guitar) and Ross Johnson (double world-class performances on pennywhistle – audience – of all SA cultures and from the bass and pennywhistle) are the three very a unique experience in itself! One can see young to the very old opera is not just for accomplished musicians of the Palm Strings why their broad repertoire, delivered with an elite few but is accessible and enjoyable Trio who cover any and every genre of music energy, refinement and sensitivity, as well for everyone.