SLIPPERY WHEN WET: SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK 2026

March 11, 2026 6

Maruné Nel

@muisnel14

Safety Awareness Week (SAW) 2026 was indeed one for the books.

The 3-day, activity-filled week kicked off with Stalls Day on Tuesday, 3 March. By morning, the Bib’s grass looked like a small village had popped up overnight. Eighteen stalls, each one decorated with enthusiasm. House committee (HC) members in their residence formals and student academic chapter (SAC) members in white-on-black all stood ready at tables covered in posters, QR codes and interactive games.

The setup was strategically planned by the Transformation and Diversity (TAD) offices. The stalls were divided into six categories, and each one tackled either causes, prevention or solutions.

The categories included: alcohol and club safety, road and transport safety, gender-based violence and consent, natural disaster safety, residence, campus and personal security, and digital safety against cyberbullying and scams.

The plan seemed to get more people to interact with the stalls, as you couldn’t just stand at one stall and call it a day. You had to move around to follow the topic, listening to different stalls discuss the same issue from different perspectives.

Judges moved between stalls all morning with marking sheets, scoring on theme representation, educational content, creativity, and visual appeal.

Then Tuesday evening happened. The scavenger hunt was supposed to be about teams running around campus like headless chickens solving riddles, finding stations, performing emergency tasks, and racing to the finish. The programme had everything planned down to the minute. However, the Potchefstroom weather had other plans, deciding to shower us with some very rainy weather. Instead of running around outside, everyone moved to the Amphitheatre. The riddles became discussion and demonstration points for speakers who would have been stationed at certain points. Although a little under the weather, the attendees all showed an eagerness to take part, and learn from the presentations.

However, Thursday rolled around with a great surprise to make up for it. With a pub quiz at The Draak, the energy was unmatched, especially because it was safety-themed and everyone wanted to win.

The quiz consisted of five rounds: general knowledge, scenario-based “what would you do?” questions, a dingbats picture round, myth versus fact, and a creative campaign challenge where teams designed and presented mini awareness posters, based on a given scenario, on the spot.

Emotions were running high, and it seemed everyone wanted to get the gold, even the MC!

The prize-giving had everyone on the edge of their seats. Vergeet-My-Nie and Excelsior tied with Dinki and Laureus for third place. The second prize went to Eikenhof and Soetdorings, and gold was kept for the safest team: the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The TAD office members mentioned in closing that the goal was never just to host an event, but for students to really feel seen and heard about their safety concerns.

Eighteen stalls, one rained-out scavenger hunt that became an indoor presentation, and one pub quiz with many fun rounds. Certainly a week to remember.