Students participate in first Amazing Race for nature since lockdown

Students at North-West University (NWU) Potchefstroom campus participated in the first Amazing Race since lockdown, on 31 March 2022. This event formed part of the NWU Value Your Environment Week, organised by the student campus council (SCC) current affairs office.

The initiative focused on creating awareness among students of the well-being of their environment. The week’s activities aimed to expand students’ knowledge on global warming, interconnected systems within the environment, the impact of human activities on earth and society’s response to the effects of carbon footprint.

The race took place in various locations on the Potchefstroom campus. These locations included the law building, engineering block, Laureus men’s residence, the health centre and protection services.

Students who participated in the event had to complete a series of activities. One of the activities involved students receiving clues leading to other activities that followed. One activity included students throwing ping-pong balls into cups while having to answer questions about the environment. Other activities involved painting their hands on the Amazing Race banner and interpreting riddles. 

Each residence was allowed four participants who had to work together to solve the clues. The activities were arranged for education and entertainment purposes.

Buhle Siko (21), house committee member at Heide woman’s residence, said that it was “amazing” to participate in the race. She went on to say,  “it was so good, I am planning on bringing this event to our residence”.

Siko believes that the students at Heide women’s residence would enjoy participating in an event such as the Amazing Race, specifically for the residence only, as it is an innovative way to broaden student knowledge and get to know the campus on another level. 

Ané Venter (20), a second-year law student, said that her favourite activity was one where they had to throw a ping-pong ball into a plastic cup while answering questions about the environment. 

“I learned so much! The current affairs team also put so much effort into organising this event for us, it felt great to participate in campus activities again,” Venter said. 

Elbé De Beer (19), a first-year BSc biokinetics student, and Amike Viljoen (19), a first-year BA communications student, both said their favourite activity was folding paper jets and throwing them at a target.

“It was my first time doing the Amazing Race, and it was so much fun to participate with other residents in an informal setting,” said De Beer. 

Results of the Amazing Race will be announced later this week.