The University of the Virgin Islands will commemorate its founding with Charter Day activities on the St. Thomas and St.Croix campuses.
Charter Day recognizes March 16, 1962, as the day that the College of the Virgin Islands, as it was then known, was chartered by Act No. 862 of the Fourth Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The St. Thomas campus opened in July 1963 and the St. Croix campus opened in 1964.
By its charter, UVI's cornerstone objective is to provide for ". . . the stimulation and utilization of the intellectual resources of the people of the Virgin Islands and the development of a center of higher learning whereby and wherefrom the benefits of culture and education may be extended throughout the Virgin Islands."
Thursday, March 16 – The St. Croix campus will hold a roundtable discussion at 11 a.m. with prominent UVI alumni on the topic, "Looking at UVI – Where are we going?" The discussion will be held in the Student Center and will feature poetry reading and cultural dancers.
Thursday, March 16 – Faculty Forum, "Forging a New Identity for a New Century" 1 p.m. in Chase Auditorium on St. Thomas, linked by teleconference to Room 401 of the Melvin Evans Center on the St. Croix campus. This forum will explore the commitments and possibilities for the direction of the University in the year 2000 and beyond. Forum participants will discuss curricular, administrative, student and faculty/staff issues.
Panelists to include: Dr. Marilyn Krigger, Dr. Malik Sekou, Dr. Linda Thomas, Dr. Donald Drost, Dr. Eustace Esdaille, Leandra Laidlow.
Thursday, March 16 – UVI President, Dr. Orville Kean, gives the Charter Day address,
"A Tribute to Generations of Learning," at 6:30 p.m. at the Reichhold Center for the Arts. This is the central Charter Day program. It is a tribute to the graduates of the University, especially those with several generations attending UVI. The program is a blend of music and tributes to the University and its graduates. Each class is to be represented. A historical overview of the early development of the college will be presented by an alumnus. Remarks by UVI Provost, Dr. LaVerne Ragster.
Friday, March 17 – 10th Annual Caribbean Intercollegiate Debate and Public Speaking Association. UVI's St. Croix campus hosts the event from Friday, March 17th through Sunday, March 19th. UVI is the founding university for these debates and is honored to host the 10th Annual Debates for the first time on the St. Croix campus. Teams represented: Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, The Univ. of Guyana, Univ. of Technology (Jamaica), Univ. of the West Indies (Barbados), Univ. of the W.I. (Jamaica), Univ. of the W.I. (Trinidad), University of the Virgin Islands. Contact: Stella Saunders at 692-4023.
10:00a.m. Debate Topic #1 (4 concurrent debates)MOOT: "Be it resolved that birth control devices should be distributed, free of charge, in secondary schools in the Caribbean." Debates taking place in rooms 207, 408, 501and 505 (MEC)
2:00p.m. Debate Topic # 2: (4 concurrent debates) MOOT: "Be it resolved that Elian Gonzalez, six year old refugee from Cuba, should remain in the United States." Debates taking place in rooms 207, 408, 501 and 505 (MEC)
8:00p.m. Debate Topic # 3: (2 concurrent debates) MOOT: "Be it resolved that descendants from African slaves in the Western Hemisphere should receive reparations." Debates taking place in rooms 501 and 505 (MEC)
Saturday, March 18th
9:30a.m. Debate Topic # 4 (2 concurrent debates) SEMIFINALS Topic: "Be it resolved that marijuana should be legalized." Debates taking place in rooms Q-100 and R-100 (Nursing Area)
Sunday, March 19th
All events to take place in the St. Croix Student Center – 11:00 a.m. brunch
FINALS – 1:00 p.m. Debate Topic # 5
MOOT: "Be it resolved that Distance Learning will significantly improve the quality of education in the Caribbean."
2:30p.m. Caribbean Intercollegiate Debates Award ceremony
Sunday, March 19 – Charter Day Concert – Reichhold Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. UVI Concert Choir, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble and Steel Pan Ensemble perform in "A Celebration of Human Expression." General admission is $10, $5 for students with identification.
