DUT hosted an annual luncheon to celebrate the awarding of the 29th Sharon Wilson Award for the Top Annual English and Communication Student, in which Adhikwar Singh, a second-year DUT Architecture student, was announced as the winner for 2018.

Singh, who had obtained 78 % in the subject English and Communication, said he is also surprised by his achievement.

“When my lecturer told me that I am the recipient of the Sharon Wilson awards, I was shocked. I didn’t think I would get the highest mark in the University for this subject but I am grateful,” he said excitedly.

He beat more than 5000 students and was awarded a cash prize of R3000 by award sponsor, Clive Wilson.

“The award was established in 1989 after the death of my wife, Sharon, from a brain aneurysm in 1988,” said Clive during his speech before handing over the prize. “The award pays tribute to Sharon, who worked in the University’s English Department. When my wife died I thought, ‘what can I do to honour her memory?’ That is how this prize money got set up in 1989. I first started the prize-giving with only R500 and I increased it every few years until it got to the 10th year when I made it R1,000 and since then I increased it by R100 in line with the year 11th, 12th, etc. when I paid out of my own pocket until the 20th year when I retired fully. I then instructed that from the 21st year onward, it be paid out of the Old Mutual Investment Fund Unit Trust. This fund has grown from the initial R2,000 to the +-R100,000 over the years mainly because the fund was not touched for the first 20 years and the fund was just allowed to benefit of the capital growth and all the dividends that were reinvested. So the awards will continue even when I’m gone,” he said.

DUT English and Communications Senior Lecturer and Programme Coordinator, Terry Herd served as the programme director for the event.

Amongst the festivities, DUT bid farewell to senior lecturer, Wendy Rawlinson who has now entered retirement.

Rawlinson, who has been part of the DUT family for nearly four decades, taught Communication under the English and Communication Department in the Faculty of Arts and Design.

“I have been a part of this University since 1982, before it became the Durban University of Technology and it still was the Natal Technikon. I can honestly say that throughout all these years, there has never been a dull moment. I feel very grateful to have been a part of it all,” said Rawlinson.

Pictured: Recipient of the Sharon Wilson Award, Adhikwar Singh and former DUT Lecturer, Wendy Rawlinson.

Thembela Makhuba