“We do what we do not for ourselves but for the next generation.” - Professor Hayman Russel Botman, (18 October 1953 - 28 June 2014)
Students of Huis Russel Botman House gathered on the 18th of October to pay tribute to the late Professor Hayman Russel Botman on his 62nd birthday.
A Yellowwood, the country's national tree, was replanted in Prof Botman’s honour as a symbol of growth and homecoming for those that reside in HRBH.
The tree was removed from the front of the residence while it was being built, and kept at the university trial farm where it underwent rehabilitation and was preserved. It has been successfully replanted in front of the residence and forms the first part of the restoration of the area surrounding the residence.
“In observing Prof Russel Botman’s birthday it is our wish to celebrate his life and legacy and reaffirm our commitment, as a residence, to reconciliation, human dignity and social justice,” according to Resident Head, Mathew Smorenburg.
Chairperson of Huis Russel Botman House, Carlo MacConney, says that the residents shared an incredibly special moment. “Just as Professor Botman’s legacy lives through this institution, so will the tree act as a symbol of growth for those that reside in this house.”
The act of planting the country’s national tree is representative of the development of the residence and is symbolic of an incredibly influential man.
“Prof Botman had an incredible drive to create opportunities for commendable students to gain access to higher education. Huis Russel Botman House is one of the manners through which his legacy is being preserved,” adds MacConney.
A candle has been lit in the foyer of Huis Russel Botman, and will burn for the duration of the week
The residence was named after the former rector of the university after he passed on the 28th of June last year. It serves as one of the first gender inclusive residences at Stellenbosch University, housing 253 senior students.
