PRESS RELEASE: The University of the West Indies Alumni Association (UWIAA) Dominica Chapter held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at the Fort Young Hotel at which a new Executive Committee was elected.
The election yielded the following new officers who will serve for the next two years: (1) Mrs. Yvanette Baron-George, President; (2) Mr. Nelson T. Pierre, Vice President; (3) Ms. Cleo Watt, Treasurer; (4) Mrs. Yvonne Alexander, Secretary; (5) Ms. Miriam Didier, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer; and (6) Mr. Daryl Bobb, Public Relations Officer. Mrs. Baron-George served as the Treasurer on the previous executive committee.
The evening event commenced with the observation of a minute silence as a mark of respect for the passing of Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor the Honourable Rex Nettleford; a former Alumnus Representative and Grenadian national, Mrs. Margaret Payne; and the victims of murder in Dominica.
In welcoming alumni to the meeting, chair of the event, Dr. Francis O. Severin, Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica, emphasized the importance of a vibrant alumni association to the UWI.
He said that in an environment where myriad educational institutions had emerged claiming quality and legitimacy, it was particularly important that the UWI alumni renewed their commitment to their alma mater by ensuring that it continued to be conspicuous for its quality and dedication to the Caribbean Region. Active involvement in the Alumni Association, he exhorted, was guaranteed to strengthen the University of the West Indies.
Acting President (former executive committee) Dr. Hazel Shillingford-Ricketts presented the UWIAA Dominica Chapter Report which outlined the achievements of the former executive committee. Notable was the launching of its Early Childhood Support Programme – Adopt a Pre-School. The purpose of the programme was to identify a pre-school within an under-developed community and work in partnership with the Ministry of Education, families and community personnel to upgrade the physical structure, strengthen teaching techniques, enhance parent/teacher relationships and improve parenting skills.
The pre-school so identified was the St. Alphonsus Pre-school in the community of Pottersville, Roseau. During the months of August and September 2009, the UWIAA (Dominica Chapter) was engaged in the painting of sections of the school building and replacement of a sink in the student bathroom.
The project was officially launched on September 15, 2009 at a small ceremony on the school premises by Professor the Honourable Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. At that ceremony, a gift of children’s books and educational games and toys, donated by UWI alumni, was also made.
Dr. Shillingford-Ricketts also briefed alumni about her March 2010 attendance at the regional meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the UWIAA held in the Bahamas.
She outlined a number of plans of the CEC and spoke of the latter’s importance in the governance of the UWI. She also advised alumni that the next regional meeting of the CEC was scheduled to be held in Dominica in 2011, a prospect that was welcomed by alumni.
The highlight of the AGM was a powerful and profound presentation by UWI alumnus Dr. Irving Pascal, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist. He spoke to the topic “Unlocking the West Indian Potential”. Urging university graduates to evaluate themselves based on the positive social, political and economic impact they had on their society, Dr. Pascal said, “Why spend this time if no one in here will go out and do something that could significantly alter a young person’s potential in this society? Are we prepared to self-interrogate? To question? To change? Are we able to overcome all our training and schooling and ‘mind control’ and ‘mis-education’ to learn new ways of being and thinking and doing?”
Encouraging graduates to value themselves and seize control of our country’s destiny, he told them to disabuse their minds from the misconception that the:
European centered cultural pattern of thought and behaviour is ‘objective’, ‘scientific’ and rational and thus practically divinely inspired.
Caribbean people of African descent have no intelligent history, no rational philosophical culture, and therefore offered no contribution to humanity before Transatlantic Slavery and the European ‘civilizing’ mission.
He urged graduates to reflect upon the following contradictions in our society and do something to change them:
…so many graduates with degrees in business and so few flourishing indigenous businesses.
More teachers – but worsening ignorance!
More law graduates – but higher criminality!
More doctors – but higher incidence of disease!
More artists and musicians – but less creativity!
More scientists but so little use of our natural resources (land and water)!
More standards and regulations – but a descent into mediocrity!
Focus on the almighty dollar – but a debilitating poverty of ideas!
More voting – but dying democracy!
Greater development – but increasing degeneration!
Dr. Pascal saw a role for the re-education of our youth and suggested that the task should begin with the University of the West Indies and its graduates.
It was not all business at the Annual General Meeting. There were very enjoyable and relevant presentations from two of Dominica’s best entertainers, the veritable and unbeatable Calypsonian Lord Karessah (Gregory Riviere – a B.Sc Management Studies student at the UWI Open Campus Dominica) and the versatile and magical Daryl Bobb (The Bobb), a UWI St. Augustine graduate. They were both self-accompanied on guitar, Lord Karessah singing the tune, “Not leaving Dominica Behind” and De Bobb singing “Swim Close to the Shore” and “Be what you want to be”. Alumni genuinely enjoyed the performances.
After the well-run and above-board balloting, the new President Mrs. Yvanette Baron-George encouraged alumni to “give back” to the University of the West Indies. She urged them to reflect upon the solid education that they had received from our regional university and that they should desire the same for their children and for others.
Dr. Francis Severin took the opportunity to thank the previous executive for its hard work and pledged the continued support of the Open Campus Dominica for the initiatives of the UWIAA Dominica Chapter.
– UW Dominica Open Campus
Congratulations, especially to Cleo.. My one concern is that the Alumni will organize activities which would be geared at improving the relationship between students and management and staff of the University because as a current student I am not too impressed and from comments of others too neither are they. More effort should be place on staff-student relationship as – no offense meant – but it currently is the pits. The interpersonal skills of current management leaves a lot to be desired, which is a deterrent to me doing any further courses with the UWI Open Campus – Dominica