UWC airs series on university
COURAGEOUS: Carolina Odman
The University of the Western Cape has created a TV series telling human interest stories about its alumni, academics, staff and students.
After two years, UWC on Air piloted its first episode on Cape Town TV last week. The series will be broadcast every Tuesday at 9pm and can also be viewed on YouTube.
The emotional first episode focuses on Carolina Odman and her battle with cancer. Since filming the episode, Odman’s health has worsened and she was unavailable for comment because she was in hospital.
Speaking to the Weekend Argus, her husband Kevin Govender said it meant the world to her to be featured.
“She knew that things were not looking good for her in terms of her health. Although she is at peace, she wanted something our two boys, Xavier and Cyprian, could have as a nice memory of her,” he explained.
The show was the brainchild of Gasant Abarder, UWC’s media and marketing manager, and former Cape Argus editor and Daily Voice deputy editor.
“We realised that students and staff were complaining about the amount of email communication we send out.
“I tried to think of a more engaging platform, like television,” he said.
Abarder explained that his initial idea was to share short videos with the campus community weekly, but project leader Robin Adams had a better idea.
“In this version, it showcased our academic endeavour, our notable research and our alumni, with people being at the heart of every story,” he said.
The first season of UWC on Air contains 13 episodes.
Tuesday night, the show will contain a segment called “Them and Now”. It focuses on UWC alumni and looking at where their careers have taken them since completing their studies at the institution.