Come on, let your colours burst!

The presentation started with staff members walking into the lecture hall with their own ‘firework’ (sparkler), which was met with great applause from our first years. The presentation then went on to highlight the lives of Tuks students who believed in themselves and achieved greatness in the hope that these achievers would inspire our first years to start their academic careers by doing exactly that – believing in themselves and the numerous possibilities that the future holds!

Amongst the achievers of the Department are Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Gary Botha, Fourie du Preez, Wynand Olivier and Bryan Habana, who took part in and went on to win, the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Incidentally, Victor Matfield is the 4^th Springbok Captain who is a Tukkie alumnus. Sports achievers from the Department of Marketing and Communication Management include Shaun Keeling (Olympic rower) and Mignon du Preez (Springbok ladies cricketer and winner of the 2010 SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year Award).

In the entertainment industry, numerous achievers from the Department broadcasted over TuksFM and then later on 5FM. These include Gareth Cliff, Sias du Plessis, Grant Nash and Anele Mdoda. In addition, Liezel van der Westhuizen, who completed her master’s degree in Communication Management, is the Department’s shining star. She is a presenter, MC, model, actress and Iron Man triathlon champion (anyone who can complete a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run must be a champion!).

Then, the most important of all, are the academic achievers of the Department (of which there are many). To mention but a few, in 2007 the Department of Marketing and Communication Management started entering the 3^rd year Marketing projects as well as the Direct Marketing honours projects into the Student Marketing Campaign category of the Assegai Awards. The Tukkie students have, since then, won 6 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze Assegai Awards. In addition, a current MCom student, Lizré Orton, presented her honours research article entitled ‘Relationship Marketing: Measuring Young Adults’ Attendance in the Servicescape of the Church’ at the International Conference for Journalists and Communication Scholars and Practitioners in Amsterdam in October of last year.

The Department of Marketing and Communication Management want students to believe in themselves with successful academic and professional careers and motivates them with these words from Dr Suess:

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”