Oct. 27, 2003 — The University of the Virgin Islands Bulletin Board issued today has these announcements:
UVI to be Closed on Friday, October 31
The University of the Virgin Islands will be closed on Friday, Oct. 31, in observance of Liberty Day. The University resumes all activities at the regular time on Monday, Nov. 3.
Conferences to Focus on Disability-Accessibility Issues
Issues of disability and accessibility in the Virgin Islands will be the focus of conferences scheduled on St. Thomas on Oct. 28 and St. Croix on Oct. 29. Organized by UVI's Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD), the conference is inviting participation by all individuals with disabilities, their families, advocates and any interested persons.
Areas to be discussed include education, employment, health and mental health, and transportation. The keynote speaker will be Andrea Haenlin-Mott, project director, Northeast ADA & IT Center at Cornell University, which provides training, technical assistance and materials on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Accessible Information Technology throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The conferences, which are free, will include breakfast and lunch for all participants. In addition to subject presentations, participants will be offered access to voters' registration and registration for both Vitran Plus and Dial-A-Ride transportation. To register as a V.I. voter, individuals need proper identification: birth certificates, U.S. Passports, Social Security cards, baptismal certificates or naturalization certificates.
The St. Thomas session will be held beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel. On St. Croix, the session will begin at 9 a.m. at Gertrude's Restaurant in Castle Coakley.
For details call Wilbert Francis on St. Thomas at 693-1189 or Wanda Evans on St. Croix at 692-1919.
UVI Freshman on St. Thomas to Meet
The Freshman Center has scheduled a general meeting for freshman students on the St. Thomas campus to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Sports and Fitness Center, Room 222.
Mini Career Fair Students on St. Thomas Campus
UVI's Counseling and Placement Center and the Business Division have collaborated with the St. Thomas/St. John Hotel and Tourism Association to present a mini career fair for students from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in the Sports and Fitness Center on the St. Thomas campus. Hotel and tourism related industries will have information and display tables at the fair. Ten student internship positions will be available from the members of the Hotel and Tourism Association beginning on Nov. 15 and ending in of May 2004. Students can apply for those internship positions at the fair. Prizes and refreshments will be available. For more information call Verna Rivers at 693-1087.
VIMAS to Host Water Quality Workshop
V.I. Marine Advisory Service Linking Virgin Islands Grassroots to Environmental Equity Program will host a water-quality workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Sports and Fitness Center on the St. Thomas campus. The workshop is titled "Drinking Water and Coastal Water Quality Issues: Things You Should Know Before You go to the Beach." The featured speaker is Dr. Gary Toranzos, aquatic microbiologist and water quality specialist at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. Registration is free. To register contact Mayra Suarez-Velez at 693-1392 or email msuarez@uvi.edu.
VIMAS Representatives Available for Mangrove Presentations
Representatives from the V.I. Marine Advisory Service at the UVI Center for Marine and Environmental Studies are available to present the awareness workshop "Mangroves: Our Windows to the Sea." The workshop educates participants on the importance of mangroves to coastal areas. Schoolteachers and administrators interested in having the presentation made at their respective schools should contact Mayra Suarez-Velez at 693-1392 or email msuarez@uvi.edu.
Door Decoration Contest, Debate Included in Red Ribbon Week
UVI's St. Thomas Campus will join communities nationwide to celebrate National Red Ribbon Week from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2. This year's theme is "Drug Free Is The Way To Be For Making The Promise For 2003." The week commemorates the murder of a Drug Enforcement Agency officer in Mexico in 1985.
A variety of activities – a pledge day, a wear red day, a decoration day, a debate and more – are planned.
Individuals interested in this year's "Office Door Decoration" contest should contact Zaida Castro no later than Friday, Oct. 24. Door decorations should reflect the week's theme. Judging is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 28. Participation is restricted to one office door per division or department.
Members of the UVI community as well as the general public are encouraged to attend the debate/ forum planned for Oct. 30. The debate topic will be "Be it Resolved that Legalizing Marijuana Would Negatively Impact Our Youth." The session is scheduled for 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. at Chase Auditorium (Business Education Room 110).
For details contact the Office of the Associate Chancellor at 693-1120 or see the complete schedule in a separate article on Red Ribbon Week in this section of the Source.
Oct. 30 Deadline Set for Children's Literacy Conference Writing Contest
Students in Grades 1 through 3 on St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island are invited to enter a writing contest being held in conjunction with the second annual Early Childhood Children's Literature and Literacy Conference scheduled for Nov. 9. The conference is sponsored by V.I. Kids Count.
Oct. 30 is the deadline for writing contest submissions.
"Who is Anansi's Wife?" is the contest theme. Anansi, the trickster spider from Caribbean folklore, is well known, but little is known about his wife Aso. Stories must focus on Anansi's wife, who she really is and what she is like. Parental assistance or teacher involvement is encouraged; however, the ideas, language and story content must be the child's. For details contact Dr. Patricia Harkins-Pierre via telephone at 693-1357 or e-mail.
Activities – St. Thomas Campus
— Oct. 29 – St. Kitts/Nevis Association annual "Tray Day" featuring tart, sweets and other snacks from the "Twin Nation." Snacks will be available for purchase from 9 a.m. to noon in front of the Classroom Administration (CA) Building and from 3 to 7 p.m. in front of the Business building.
— Oct. 29 – "Stop the Tears & Start the Smiles," domestic violence awareness event, 9 p.m. at East Hall dormitory. For more information call nurse Diane Viville at 693-1124.
— Oct. 30 – Counseling and Placement Development Workshop – 1 to 2 p.m., in
Teacher Education 211. Topic – So You Want to go to Graduate School: 9 Steps to Follow. There is no charge for the workshop. For details contact Verna Rivers at 693-1087.
— Oct. 31 – Free Friday Night movie at 9 p.m. in Chase Auditorium (Business Education Room110).
— Oct. 31 – Halloween Party by the Debate Society from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the Student Activities Center. Admission is $1 for UVI students and $3 for all others.
— Oct. 31 – Halloween Water Balloon Toss, 12 midnight at the outdoor basketball court. To participate or for more details call the student housing office 693-1112.
Ecotourism Presentation to be held Nov. 3
Dr. Luis Galanes of the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey, will give an ecotourism presentation from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the Chase Auditorium (B-110) on the St. Thomas campus and Evans Center (EC-401) on the St. Croix campus. Anyone interested in participating should RSVP with Cindy Hunt at 693-1106.
English Proficiency Examinations Set Nov. 13 on Both Campuses
UVI will conduct English Proficiency Examinations (EPE) on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campus on Thurs
day, Nov. 13. The EPE is a graduation requirement for all undergraduate UVI students. The exam application deadline is Friday, Nov. 7. Walk-ins are not accepted.
To register on the St. Thomas campus, visit the enrollment management office, located on the second floor of the Classroom/Administration (CA) building. For details call 693-1152.
To register on the St. Croix campus, visit the academic services office located in Evans Center Room 811. Workshops to prepare students to take the EPE are planned on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 on St. Croix. For details call 692-4103.
The Deadline to Apply for MBA Comprehensive Exam is Nov. 7
The Masters of Business Administration Comprehensive Exam will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Marine Science Center conference room on the St. Thomas campus and the Research and Extension Center room 139 on the St. Croix campus. The deadline to apply for the exam is Nov. 7. For more information and to apply, students on the St. Thomas campus should call Jacinthe Proctor at 693-1311. Students on the St. Croix campus should call Joyce Hobson at 692-4110.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the Web site at www.uvi.edu.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
