Best ALSA Science in Context students at SU awarded | Antarctic Legacy of South Africa

We enjoyed our SIC2018 journey with 1^st year BSc students at Stellenbosch University (SU).

This year’s 1^st Year BSc students completed a new compulsory module (Science in Context – SIC) where they had to choose a topic that will be researched, written up and presented. ALSA had the opportunity to propose 7 Antarctic (including sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean) topics for the module. Please refer to this article for more detail regarding this module; what topics ALSA put forward, how many of the 1^st year students chose our topics, etc.

These Antarctic research related topics were current and interesting. An incentive was also thrown into the mix, which was that students working on Antarctic related topics could visit the research vessel, S.A. Agulhas II. Unfortunately exam time and vessel tour time clashed and only 5 of the 154 students were able to attend the vessel tour (see photo). The vessel tour was also attended by a number of lecturers from the Faculty of Science, including the SU Dean of Science – Prof Louise Warnich.

We ended up being a much larger group as some pilots, test pilots and engineers from the Test Flight and Development Center in Bredasdorp joined us.

We would like to thank the DEA for permitting us to board the RV S.A. Agulhas II and Delicia Subramoney, Second Mate of the ship, taking us on a great vessel tour.

We would like to thank the three SU PhD’s (Department of Geology, TraceX Research Group) that gave some context around ship science. (L-R): Ryan Cloete, Johan Viljoen and Jean Loock.

SU Staff: Anche Louw (ALSA), Dr Marnel Mouton (SU Lecturer), Dr Ilse Rootman-le Grange (SU Lecturer), Hanlie Hammond (SU Lecturer), Ria Olivier (ALSA),Fiona Stanford (SU Lecturer), Prof Louise Warnich (Dean of Sciences),

Students debating about the luxury of the one bed berth onboard the S.A. Agulhas II.

SIC student in the S.A. Agulhas II Lounge (one of two lounges on the vessel).

On Tuesday, 14 November, Dr Ilse Rootman-Le Grange (E-Learning Instructional Designer and coordinator of this SIC module at the Faculty of Science, SU) hosted a thank you event for all SU staff involved with this module. Two student groups were also invited to this event, where ALSA had the opportunity to announce and hand over prizes to the two best Antarctic related group presentations.

Group 118 (Best Marion Island presentation & best overall).	Group 3 – Best Gough Island presentation.
Bongani Adam	Danica Prinsloo
Kris Brand	Mia Groeneveld
Reece Davies	Marichen Volk
Nkosazana Lobi	Heike Moller
Catherine Smit

ALSA would like to thank the Faculty of Science for the opportunity to be part of this module as this was the perfect platform to increase Antarctic Research awareness among 1^st year students at SU.

We are looking forward to SIC2019.

Watch this video: Best Marion Island presentation.

Featured Image (L-R): Ria Olivier (ALSA), Kris Brand, Nkosazana Lobi, Marichen Vlok, Danica Prinsloo, Reece Davies, Bongani Adam and Anche Louw (ALSA).

Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 27 November 2018.

Group 118 (Best Marion Island presentation & best overall).

Group 3 – Best Gough Island presentation.

Watch this video: Best Marion Island presentation.

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