Dr Marelize Vergottini, a senior lecturer in social work at the North-West University (NWU) recently presented a group work framework that is focused on positive discipline for addressing behaviour issues among primary school students from grades 5 to 7.

This was during a social work practice seminar for school social workers hosted by the Gauteng Province Social Development Department on 3 March.

Some call them the purple army, others call them the noble boys, but officially known as the North-West University (NWU) Eagles, the team’s on-field performance in the 2023 ABC Motsepe League is like a tsunami that can’t be stopped.

With one game left to determine the log leaders of the league’s Group B stream, the NWU Soccer Institute is leading the pact with 34 points. They have scored 37 goals so far, with 13 of these goals scored in March alone.

The punishment does not fit the crime. South Africa has an endemic, growing and unique disease that is not only affecting the health of our country’s democratic structures, but is also an ill-conceived form of retribution for the lack of service delivery. Voter turnout continues to decline, but abstention is not the cure for consternation. It is a matter the North-West University (NWU) is hoping to address through its unique blend of teaching-learning initiatives.

The doctor is in the house. After a hiccup against Stellenbosch University (Maties) a week ago, the NWU Eagles are back in rude health after beating the University of Pretoria (Tuks) 26-22 during round 4 of the Varsity Cup clash in Pretoria.

The victorious visitors scored four tries through Tino Swanepoel (two), Keano Windvogel and Theuns Pretorius. Zinedine Robinson slotted two conversions.

North-West University statistics lecturer Dr Piet Ntema recently presented a paper at the 17th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED2023) in Spain.

He presented the paper from his PhD thesis titled “Feature selection of student(s) at risk of dropout using administrative data at a university in South Africa”. He was among six other participants from South Africa who presented at the conference.

Article by Phenyo Mokgothu and Mafumane Tlhapi

The North-West University (NWU) GoAllOut organisation’s student chapter will attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest line of sanitary pads, spanning a distance of 4 km to 6 km.

The attempt will take place on 25 March at the Great Hall on the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, and will see students taking part in making a line spanning up to 6 km with 60 000 sanitary pads.

Prof Ewelina Niemczyk from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Education and member of the Edu-HRight research unit has been appointed an associate fellow at the University of Westminster in London.

She says this is another important link to foster sustainable collaboration between the two institutions.

She is the undisputed mother figure of the Rugby Institute at the North-West University (NWU). She is one of the heroes behind the scenes. She is the friendly face who greets you first. She is Ronel Emms, and her share in the Rugby Institute’s bulging trophy case is just as big as that of all those tries behind the gold.

As the secretary to the Rugby Institute and the assistant to the head, Mervyn Taylor, she is part of the DNA of the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds.

Music can alter our mood, as the phrase “music calms the savage beast” illustrates, for example.

It can set the scene for calmness, romance, learning and creativity. A new book by North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Conroy Cupido explores how four visual artists created original artworks about the meaning they attach to music and how the music influenced their emotions.

Music, art and emotion: depictions of the night inspired by romantic art song is an open-access scholarly book that was launched on 22 February.

Africa’s top badminton players – among them three North-West University (NWU) students – converged on the John Barrable Hall in Benoni on the East Rand from 13 to 19 February to determine who wields a badminton racket the best of them all.

The event was the All Africa Badminton Championships and the NWU students were Deidré Jordaan, Diané Olivier and Jarred Elliot.