Author Archives: thandi

67 Minutes for Mandela by J van Sitter-Mentor “It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.” – Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010. However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on 18 July 2009. The Mandela Day campaign message is: “Nelson Mandela has fought for social justice for 67 years. We’re asking you to start with 67 minutes.” We would be honoured if such a day can serve to bring together people around the world to fight poverty and promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity,” according to a statement issued on Mandela’s behalf. Celebrated each year on the late statesman’s birthday, International Nelson Mandela Day aims to inspire a ripple of good deeds throughout the world and looks to encourage individuals, communities, governments and non-profit organisations to take one small step towards the larger leap of making a positive imprint. As a CPUT student take a look at how you can get involved with Mandela Day this year. Here is a handy guide to make a difference for 67 minutes (and beyond). You can also choose to create your own 67 Minutes of service. IDEAS: *Help create and fill Care Packages for any one you think is in need. *Donate a Winter Warmer Gift for a Family in Need. *It’s the coldest time of the year – collect blankets and give them to homeless shelters. *Put a tin money box on the residence hall table to collect small change for a local soup kitchen. * Drop into a home for the Aged. *Donate a book to a Children’s Library. * Sign up with a Saturday school and commit a few afternoons a month to improving the marks of underprivileged matrics. *Redeem points earned on a shopper’s card for gift vouchers for you friend /classmate. *Bake something for the local police station night shift to encourage them in their difficult work. *Saying Thank You- Make someone else’s day by simply saying ‘thank you’. * Help Raise Funds for the Animal Rescue Organisation. * Take Part in a Cape Town Beach Clean-up. *Pledge to have more showers and fewer baths to save water. CPUT and Mandela Day: The Faculty of Engineering has undertaken a project in honouring Madiba’s legacy and wishes for the children of South Africa. The project is a major renovation of a Children’s Home in the attempt to give hope and instil the importance of education in the lives of the children at the home. This project requires the entire CPUT community’s participation in raising funds and more importantly contributing our skills and expertise in design, construction and project management. A project of this nature does not only benefit the children at the home, but also gives our students real-life exposure of how their different disciplines and skills acquired at CPUT can be used; should be used for the greater good of society, as entrenched in one of our Core Value at CPUT; UBUNTU The launch date for the project is the 18th July 2017. However the project will stretch over a period of 3 to 4 months in the attempt to allow for fundraising to continue while the work continues. The project co-ordinator is Luvuyo Kakaza and can be contacted on: t: +27 (0) 21 959 6814 | e: kakazal@cput.ac.za

Posted on by

Move For Health: Thandi Nkibi

Posted on by

MOVE FOR HEALTH
Move for Health Day is an international event created in 2002 by the World Health Organization to promote physical activity.This day forms part of the development of global and national strategies on nutrition, physical activity and overall health. The initiative encourages all South Africans to take responsibility for their health, by engaging in cost effective physical activities such as walking, regular exercise and other extramural activities. In order to improve and maintain health, we encourage every student to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis.
The main objectives OF THE CAMPAIGN are to:
• facilitate the development of sustained national and local physical activity initiatives, policies and programmes.

• Get the global population participation in physical activity either through sports, recreational events and other sociocultural forms of engagement.

• Promote healthy behaviour and lifestyles and address health related issues through
sports and physical activity such as no tobacco use, healthy eating, violence reduction, stress and social isolation.

Everyone knows the benefits of regular exercise for the body. Exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health and can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and many more. It is also a stress reliever, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood. And you do not have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.
People who exercise regularly tend to feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges such as mild depression In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing
Most importantly, exercise promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Therefore it boosts physical and mental energy, When your body releases endoprphins anxiety is usually lessened. Anything that gets you moving helps your body relax but you need to be mindfull of the sensation of your feet hitting the ground. This interrupts the flow of constant worries through ruuning through your head.
Exercise and stress
Stress manifest in our bodies in different ways namely tension, back or neck pain, or painful headaches, tightness in one’s chest, muscle cramps, insomnia, heartburn, stomachache, diarrhea, or frequent urination. Physical activity helps to relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body. Since the body and mind are so closely linked, when your body feels better so, too, will your mind.
Exercise and ADHD
Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention. In this way, exercise works in much the same way as ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.
Exercise and trauma
Exercises that involve cross movement and that engage both arms and legs—such as walking (especially in sand), running, swimming, weight training, or dancing—are some of your best choices.
Mental and emotional benefits of exercise
Sharper memory and thinking. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.
Higher self-esteem. Regular activity can foster your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about your appearance and, by meeting even small exercise goals, you’ll feel a sense of achievement.
More energy. Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise a day, and increase your workout as you feel more energized.
Stronger resilience. When faced with mental or emotional challenges in life, exercise can help you cope in a healthy way, instead of resorting to alcohol, drugs, or other negative behaviors that ultimately only make your symptoms worse. Regular exercise can also help boost your immune system and reduce the impact of stress.
Things we as students can do to move for health
1. Physical activity does not always requires gym membership

2. Think about physical activity as a lifestyle rather than just a single task to check off. Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in activity here, there, and everywhere.

3. Clean the house, wash the car, tend to the yard and garden, mow the lawn with a push mower, and sweep the sidewalk or patio with a broom.

4. Walk up and down the stairs. Cape Town campus is structured with many stairs that one can take advantage of. So is some of the buildings on other campuses. Avoid all elevators and get to know every staircase possible

5. You have all you need at hand, in case you are one of those that want to lift weights. Create a weight by stuffing wet sand/cement on two Ricoffy empty tins without spending money and lift the weight at the comfort of your house. This can help increase your heartrate

6. Briskly walk to the bus stop then, get off one stop early, park at the back of the lot and walk into the store or office, take a vigorous walk during your coffee break.

7. Jog regularly and make use of the gym if your campus happens to have one. There are also many sports clubs one can join. Take time to find out from the Sports and Culture unit at your campus

8. Go hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting to reduce the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress disorder).

9. Do not be a potato couch. Gently stretch while watching television, dance or do yoga. The list is endless

10. Why not join the Zumba class at CPUT. Find out from your campus Sport Unit. Make exercise a fun part of your everyday life.
Adapted from an article by Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Melinda Smith, M.A. on Helpguide.org International, 1250 Sixth Street, Suite 400, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

DID YOU HAVE THE VACCINE? EXAM FEVER ON THE HIGH

Posted on by

Attempt SIX questions in all. Select Two question from section A, and three questions from section B. Question No.1 is compulsory.

This is a typical set of instructions that many of the students would see at the top of most of the question papers. You are also given some additional information like total marks, total time allowed, be precise, do your work neat and clean, draw a diagram where necessary and other such instructions. As you get the paper in the examination hall you must go through all these instructions. This article is based on questions like: What is Examination Fever? Who suffers from it?, What are its symptoms? How to study methodically? How to get rid of it? and much more….

What is examination fever?

The fear of examination has given birth to the phrase “Examination fever”. This “fever” and “examination” both are closely related because near the examination a student has an attack of this type of fever. The medical science has yet to discover its authentic germs but most educationists say “It’s a kind of allergy that attacks during or few days before the exams”.

Who suffers from it?

The victims of this fever are students. This allergy affects anyone without age limit. As examination fever is a seasonal disease and this season comes thrice a year, just before the examination so the students get anxious and restless. The intellectuals say this allergy can attack anyone, at anytime even, the scholars do not remain unaffected.

Symptoms

After a prolonged research the educationists and intellectuals have found some of the symptoms of this special type of fever. They agree that whenever examinations come closer the students start getting anxious and spend sleepless nights worrying about the upcoming exams. The students become weak and pale, gets easily irritated, complain of loss of memory, headache, nerves overwrought, tired eyes and the face full of worry and tension.

How to get rid of it?

In medical science no medicine has yet been discovered for the examination fever victims. The only remedy for these victims is that they just relax and need not worry…. because it is wise to remember that exams are not here as punishment; they are a good way of testing to see how much you have learnt. An examination tests a student’s knowledge and the understanding of a particular subject. The fear of examination makes students work hard because they go through the whole course as they don’t know what would be asked.

As students are anxious and restless so they sometimes think of using unfair means like guess paper injections, cheating capsules, use of programmable calculators, friendly invigilator, and other such activities. But remember all these activities have their side effects so always avoid them.

To overcome examination fever just follows the following tips:

Always be positive because examinations are a part of life and they should not taken as punishment so always accept examination warm heartedly.
• Try and relax. Don’t get over anxious. Always consider the worst case that can happen and then think positive.

• During this period make sure you have balanced meals if you can afford. Avoid junk food during or before examinations.

• Gain confidence in subjects you know best by completing your revision and writing notes.

• Try to make brief points to refer just before the exams.

• Before starting the paper set an appropriate time for each question. It will help you while you are attempting questions.

• Before examinations always revise question which you have learnt by writing them on paper according to the specified time frame.

•Take proper sleep before and during examination otherwise you will not feel fresh and you will not be able to perform according to your expectations..

•Always avoid last minute cramming because sometimes it proves to be hazardous.
Resources:
[Noman Hussain Malik, 9 May 2006; An article on Dawn Young World site]