The Orientation Week for 2015’s new first-year students began with Welcome Day on 17 January. Thousands of first-year students and their parents arrived at the Hatfield Campus to begin their journey with UP. Posters bearing the University’s call to ‘Make Today Matter’ were displayed all over the campus to inspire students to do their best every day in order to create the future they desire.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, urged students to do their best and to get involved with some of the numerous extracurricular activities in the arts, sports and community work in order to become well-rounded graduates who can take on the challenges of the world of work.

Each year on Welcome Day, a first-year student plants the tree of the year on behalf of that year’s intake of first years. The tree grows along with that group of students.
 

New Tukkie student plants a forest bushwillow (Combretum kraussii)

On 17 January 2015, Welcome Day for the 2015 first years, the UP Alumni Office presented its customary tree planting ceremony. The event was introduced in 2001. The first-year student who plants the tree represents the year group, while the tree is a symbol of the year group and future alumni.

Three forest bushwillows were planted this year: by a first-year student, Mr Ruan Ras, by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, and by Mr Neeltje Wilkens, Deputy Chairperson of the TuksAlumni Board. Mr Ras enrolled for the degree BSc (Architecture).

Since 2001, the following trees have been planted: river bushwillow, cheesewood, red currant, mountain seringa, baobab, wild pomegranate, common wild currant, bladder-nut, tree fuchsia, wild gardenia, jacket-plum, red beech, cross-berry and lavender tree. Former students who took part in this ceremony as new first-year students are the late Rizqa Carrim (2001), Christa-Louié van Heerden (2002), Ingeborg Steinmann (2003), Tshepo Moila (2004), Dewald de Beer (2005), Atli Phatudi (2006), Jaco Jordaan (2007), Molatelo Thebe (2008), Tarryn Thomas (2009), Nkamogeleng Mahlaela (2010), Urooge Haq (2011), Liesl van Eeden (2012), Tshiamo Maimane (2013) and Fallon Fourie (2014).

Good times were had during Welcome Day 2015