Vensters 2022 is set to be a live, in-person event on either 11 or 12 February 2022. This was confirmed by Pieter Kloppers, director of the centre for student communities (CSC) at Stellenbosch University (SU).
The Maties Connect Committee for 2022, who was elected on 1 November, started planning for SU’s Vensters 2022, stated Leoné Wilkinson, chairperson of Maties Connect 2022.
“We are planning Vensters 2022 to be an in-person event. If Covid-19 allows it, we will have an in-person event, and with small crowds with Covid-19 protocols in place,” stated Kim-Joy Damon, who is a third-year BMus student and head of Vensters 2022 at SU.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions during 2021, Vensters took place virtually where SU residences and SU private student organisations (PSO’s) filmed their dance routines and streamed it online, stated Damon.
“There are plans for different possibilities – one is to do it in person. The others are online if the Covid-19 restrictions do not allow in-person,” stated Kloppers via email correspondence.
SU plans for a small number of spectators and hopes that the Covid-19 restrictions in February 2022 will allow for spectators at Vensters, stated Kloppers.
Kim-Joy Damon, who is a third-year BMus student and head of Vensters 2022 at SU, explains how Vensters 2022 will work. “We still want to give first-years the best experience they can possibly have,” stated Damon. VIDEO: Heléne Leonard
The vision for Vensters 2022
“Vensters is planned to be different but we still want to give newcomers the best Vensters experience that we can. We still want Vensters with gees,” stated Wilkinson.
Instead of making it a festival with a stage in front of every SU residence, the Maties Connect team plan to utilize three stages and then have all the SU residences and SU PSO partnerships perform once on a stage, stated Wilkinson. Vensters’ partnerships, which consist of residences and PSO’s, were chosen through a random draw session on 4 November, Wilkinson added.
“Hopefully the big stage can be at Coetzenburg and the others alongside Coetzenberg can be used for live shows,” stated Wilkinson.
Leoné Wilkinson, head of Maties Connect 2022, explains the proceedings planned for Vensters 2022. AUDIO: Heléne Leonard
Space for night markets will also be beaconed off for students to come and sell their products on the evening of Vensters 2022. This is where advertising boards will be put up to showcase the SU resident and PSO partnerships, stated Wilkinson.
SU’s main priority
“We are eager for students to experience a meaningful student life. To the extent possible, social gatherings will be allowed,” stated Kloppers.
Leoné Wilkinson, chairperson of Maties Connect 2022, explained the vision for Vensters 2022 and the small-scale event that it aims to be. AUDIO: Heléne Leonard
The main priority for Maties Connect is health control, stated Damon. Vensters 2022 will not be as big as previous years, she added.
“It is easy to shift newcomers into different spaces, so it will not be such a large-scale event anymore. We are trying to look at Vensters with a new perspective so that students can have the best possible experience,” stated Damon.