Coping through COVID-19: VARSITY newspaper carries on

21 May 2020 | Story Tiyani Rikhotso. Photo Pexels. Read time 3 min.
“VARSITY” has adapted in order to continue to provide a platform for conversation, creativity and collaboration.
“VARSITY” has adapted in order to continue to provide a platform for conversation, creativity and collaboration.

COVID-19 has uprooted lives and shifted the way we engage, work and navigate our days. As a student-run newspaper focused on publishing bi-weekly print editions, there was a lot of uncertainty that came as the University of Cape Town (UCT) announced its campus shutdown. However, the paper has adapted in order to continue providing a platform for conversation, creativity and collaboration.

The main shift has been a focus on digital publishing platforms and driving traffic to the VARSITY website. In addition to sharing its editions on Issuu, VARSITY has partnered with Magzter – a cross-platform, self-service, global digital magazine newsstand – and the newspaper is now available alongside well-known titles such as the Mail & Guardian and City Press. Students can sign up to Magzter to access the newspaper and other freely listed publications.

New ways of work

The paper’s editorial staff has also had to find alternative ways to work and stay connected as the team is dispersed throughout the country. Newsroom, subbing and design have taken on new forms as the team now heavily relies on Zoom, Google Drive and WhatsApp. Despite grappling with the pressures of online learning, the home environment and lockdown restrictions, members of the VARSITY collective continue to dedicate themselves to the work that keeps the paper running.

 

“Members of the VARSITY collective continue to dedicate themselves to the work that keeps the paper running.”

The consistent contributions of writers on VARSITY’s mailing list has also ensured that it continues to publish compelling editions. Those interested in joining the mailing lists and writing for VARSITY can direct message the team through its social media platforms or access article briefs on the Vula tab through the “quick links” section on the homepage.

Creative plans in the works

A “Creative Contributions” section has also recently been added to the paper, where poems, photography and artworks sent in by students are published. Any contributions can be sent via email. In addition, VARSITY hosted a week-long journaling challenge and launched a bi-weekly book club that students can engage with on social media platforms.

VARSITY is currently planning its annual media conference, which will take place digitally due to the lockdown. Shifts in the academic calendar have also allowed the editorial teams to add more editions to the publication schedule.

In the words of VARSITY’s copy editor, Brad Brinkley: “It will take more than a global pandemic to keep us quiet.”

Access the digital versions of the paper.

Read the articles on the website.

Follow VARSITY on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.


Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Please view the republishing articles page for more information.


UCT’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.

In July 2022, the University of Cape Town (UCT) revised its approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic on UCT campuses in 2022.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.

 

Campus communications

 
2022

Adjusting to our new environment 16:50, 23 June 2022
VC Open Lecture and other updates 17:04, 13 April 2022
Feedback from UCT Council meeting of 12 March 2022 09:45, 18 March 2022
UCT Council
March 2022 graduation celebration 16:45, 8 March 2022
Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022 19:30, 21 February 2022
UCT Council
COVID-19 management 2022 11:55, 14 February 2022
Return to campus arrangements 2022 11:15, 4 February 2022

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.

 

“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.


Thank You UCT Community

Frequently asked questions

 

Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?

UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.



If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.

IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
 

 

“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.

 

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