Celebration season kicked off in style at the undergraduate class of 2015 results bash and graduation ceremony. 394 students were capped, including postgraduate students, when graduation day arrived on the afternoon of 19 December.

The air was rich with jubilation. Jameson Hall was a hive of excitement with parents, friends and family shouting, ululating and clapping furiously in a display of immense pride and joy.

One of three ceremonies on that day, it was also the first Health Sciences graduation to experience the local flavour of UCT’s revamped graduation tradition. Along with opera, entertainment included an imbongi – an isiXhosa praise singer and Abdullah Ibrahim’s incomparable Mannenberg in place of Gaudeamus Igitur.

The imbongi at Saturday morning’s graduation raining praise on the university’s graduands. Sange is a third-year African music student at UCT.

At the end of the ceremony, in keeping with tradition Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price invited graduates to wave their degrees, in honour of those who supported them through their studies and to pat themselves on the back for a job well done. 

At the annual results bash that preceded the graduation ceremony, students were treated to champagne and good music to mark passing their exams. Opening the proceedings, Interim Dean Professor Gregory Hussey acknowledged the uncertainty around the exam schedule due to recent protests. He praised students for their patience and expressed the shared relief that they were able to complete their studies this year. Friends, family and lecturers cheered on as Professor Gonda Perez, Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Operations, announced the results and top achievers from the Barnard Fuller balcony. The excitement was heightened with the announcement of the pass rates which, again, displayed the trademark excellence of  the Faculty’s graduands. 

Pass rates and gold medals awarded:

AUDIOLOGY  23 (82% pass rate)
Gold Medal – Ms Romy Cohen

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY  38 (95%)
Gold Medal – Ms Natania Esterhuizen

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY  53 (95%)
Gold Medal – Ms Meike Lippstreu

PHYSIOTHERAPY 39 (93%)
Gold Medal – Ms Samantha Grace

MBCHB 177 (99%)
Gold Medal – Ms Naomi Johnson 

See the gallery of results bash photos here 

Graduation photos by Michael Hammond