Briefs

PASS Forum meeting

The next PASS Forum gathering takes place on Friday May 7 at 08h30 in the Senate Room. The agenda includes a Council report-back, UCT archivist Lionel Smit will introduce attendees to the treasures held in the university's archives, Dr Jim McNamara, ISIS project director, will provide an update on this and UCT's new information systems. Staff will also have an opportunity to raise issues of concern.

Stockings and Stokvels update

At a members' meeting held on April 20, the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing presented an update on their Stockings and Stokvels project. Completed in February 2002, the project aimed to encourage a deeper understanding of the way black South Africans celebrate Christmas and highlights a unique opportunity for marketers to create a new South African expression of the event. Of particular interest was the fact that 85.5 million SMSs were sent during the festive season, making this form of communication the Christmas card of the future. Regarding the Christmas spirit, 89% of urban South Africans said that they were more inclined to spend Christmas with close family and friends and, due to a concern over crime and safety, were more likely to do so at home. The institute's findings also show that children continue to aspire towards the magic of Father Christmas and all that he entails, but that parents need their children to understand the harsh limitations of their budgetary constraints.

Thanks from Wellness Week team

On behalf of the organisers of the recent Organisational Health Wellness Week, thanks go to our regular exhibitors from DAI, SSI, Discovery Health and Vitality partners. Special thanks to our new exhibitors Sandoz, Pfizer and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring the diabetes and cholesterol testing strips and educational material. The eats at the launch were kindly sponsored by Qwencha. Thanks also to Linda Trumble (083 712-4289) who gave Shiatsu and Indian head massage demonstrations and to the students and practitioners of the Cape Institute for Allied Health Studies (tel 689-3162) who offered reflexology, aromatherapy and therapeutic massage (with long lines of staffers queuing for their hands-on ministrations). According to the Allied Health Studies participants, UCT staff need a massage regularly. Comments from staff showed they were "seriously appreciated".

Thanks go to Sandi de Klerk from Shelly Meltzer and Associates for invaluable dietary advice (tel 659-5660) and Mandy Simpson (083 444-4338), a wholistic nutritional science and energy healing practitioner. The Occuvision hamper was won by Joseph Samuels (remember, Occuvision can do onsite screening and testing, and you can call Luigi Bennett on 082 579-1090.) Noeleen Murray won the three-month free membership to the Sports Science Institute gym. The VirginActive rucksacks and hampers were won by Veronica Baatjies, Susan Burman, Rosalie Richfield and Jannie Buxey. Rhiannon Thomas and Richard Jonathan won the cardiac heart monitors. The HR attendance lucky draw winners are Gaynor Osborne, Marilyn Mentor, Gunter Kraft, Rob Sieborger, Xalani Njecana, Rosetta Furguson, Myrtel Rustin, Gina Fraser, Galiema Parker, Antje Zetzmann, Craig Comrie, Lungiswa Mabalane and Christine Rogerson. Watch out for the spring Wellness Week.