Against the beautiful backdrop of the Coetzenburg mountains, the first-year students of Stellenbosch University (SU) put on the greatest show and made Stellies truly come alive with sound on 8 February 2025. The annual Vensters production that SU hosts has changed dramatically over the years. However, the hours of practicing synchronised choreography and the heat stroke that the newcomers endure remains constant.
This year, the song “The Greatest Show” from the musical The Greatest Showman was the title track of all the performances. For these wide-eyed newcomers, the lyrics to the song and message were nothing short of prophetic: Stellenbosch is “everything you ever want, everything you ever need, and it’s right here in front of you—this is where you want to be.”
Jodi, a first-year BA Humanities student who performed as part of Capruria (Capri and Serruria), explained that being on stage “… was scary but a lot of fun.” She said that the official song “was definitely a choice. But I think it was quite uplifting and quite first year vibes.”
Sarah Stewart, a first-year Politics, Philosophy and Economics student and a member of the Oudervabosch (Oude Molen, Minerva and Huis ten Bosch), said that “[Vensters] was amazing. There was so much energy on stage. Everyone was excited… I loved it.”
Students practise for hours in the weeks leading up to their performances, and this showcase is one last tribute to welcoming before it ends and reality sinks in. It’s a time for having fun, laughing at yourself when you get the moves wrong, and making sure you run into and out of the wings at exactly the right moment. However, there can only be one winner in any competition and this year Meerhoff, Enkanyini and Metanoia took the title with their performance as Meerkanoia.
While the teams look like professionals up on the stage, this tradition is one for everyone. As Stewart said, “I have no experience in dance, this is me, giving it my all.” After all, that’s what university is all about.
By Emma Theron
