UVI to Close Nov. 11 in Observance of Veterans Day The University of the Virgin Islands will close on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day. UVI classes will resume and administrative offices will reopen on their regular schedules on Thursday, Nov. 12.
St. Thomas Campus Supplies of Seasonal Flu Vaccine Exhausted The St. Thomas campus Health Services Office has announced that its supplies of the seasonal flu vaccine have been exhausted. Members of the UVI community who still wish to obtain a vaccination for seasonal flu are advised to contact personal physicians or the community clinic at Schneider Regional Medical Center.
H1N1 vaccine has not yet been received by the St. Thomas Health Services Office. When the vaccine becomes available, a vaccination procedure will be announced.
St. Croix Health Services Begins Seasonal Flu Vaccinations Today The St. Croix campus Health Services Office has received its first supply of seasonal flu vaccine and began administering vaccinations on Nov. 3. Interested members of the UVI community should call 692-4208 to schedule a vaccination.
The St. Croix Health Services Office expects to receive H1N1 vaccine next week. When the vaccine becomes available, a vaccination procedure will be announced.
Afternoon on the Green Committee Seeking 2010 Theme Suggestions UVI’s Afternoon on the Green Committee is seeking theme suggestions for the next edition of the annual “friend-raiser” event, which is scheduled for March 7, 2010, on the University’s St. Thomas campus. Members of the UVI community are invited to suggest a theme that relates to the University and the community or the inauguration of UVI President Dr. David Hall, which is scheduled for March 6, 2010. Note: The theme does not have to rhyme. Send suggestions, via email, to Liza Margolis at lmargol@uvi.edu. The deadline for suggestions is Tuesday, Nov. 17.
St. Thomas SGA Publishes Second Student Focus Newsletter The second issue of the newsletter Student Focus has been published by the St. Thomas campus Student Government Association. The four-page publication includes stories on the SGA student forum held Oct. 21 with UVI President Dr. David Hall and other administrators, and the SGA Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day held Oct. 30. The newsletter also features small items on four students and on the Anguilla Student Association and the St. Kitts-Nevis Association.
Student Focus is distributed on campus and is available from the St. Thomas Student Activities – Student Government section of the UVI Web site – www.uvi.edu. For more information on Student Focus or the SGA, call 244-2630.
Reichhold to Host Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Hispanico in November The 2009-2010 season of UVI’s Reichhold Center for the Arts continues with two major productions in November. The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra and VI native mezzo-soprano Melita Etienne, as the featured vocalist, perform Saturday, Nov. 14. High-energy Latin dance follows Saturday, Nov. 21, with Ballet Hispanico taking the stage. Both shows begin at 8 p.m.
The Reichhold continues its longstanding partnership with The Forum in bringing the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra to the Virgin Islands. The evening will feature performances of Sibelius’ Spring Song, Op. 16, Chausson’s Poeme de l’amoure et de la mer, Op. 19, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3.
The dance company Ballet Hispanico is known for its flamboyant and expressive style. Along with a portrait of 1950s Latin ballroom productions and a raucous tribute to Brazillian carnival, the company will introduce the world premier of a new work performed to Latin jazz.
Tickets are available from the Reichhold Box Office at 693-1559, and from these St. Thomas ticket outlets – Urban Threadz, V.I. Bridal & Tuxedo, Essentric Shoe Boutique, Home Again and the UVI Bookstore. Tickets are also available from Connections on St. John. For details and online ticket purchases, visit the Reichhold Center Web site – www.reichholdcenter.com.
Submissions Sought for 24th Issue of The Caribbean Writer The Caribbean Writer is seeking submissions for its 24th edition. Besides the usual poetry, short fiction and personal essays, critical articles and insights on Trevor Rhone and Wayne Brown are specifically being sought for a special section. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 30. The Caribbean should be central to submissions or the work should reflect a Caribbean heritage, experience or perspective.
Writers are encouraged to submit poems, short stories, personal essays and one-act plays. Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Mail submissions to The Caribbean Writer, University of the Virgin Islands, RR 1, Box 10,000, Kingshill St. Croix, VI 00850-9781 or submit electronically to submit@thecaribbeanwriter.org. For details, visit www.TheCaribbeanWriter.org or call 692-4152. A news release is available from the UVI home page – www.uvi.edu.
Youth Participants Sought for 4-H Groups’ 2010 St. Croix Festival Troupe The 4-H Program of UVI’s Cooperative Extension Service is looking for Virgin Islands children between the ages of five and 12 to become a part of a 4-H Festival Troupe that will participate in the 2010 St. Croix Christmas Festival Children’s Parade. The parade is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2010. For more information, contact Yvonne Phillips at 693-1078 on St. Thomas or Jillean Webster at 692-4087 on St. Croix.
Nov. 13 Food Sale to Raise Funds to Support 4-H Festival Troupe A food sale at the CES Office (located in the former UVI Business Office) on the St. Thomas campus to support the group’s participation in the St. Croix Festival is set for 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 13. Delivery on campus will also be available to those who call ahead. BBQ chicken, tofu, mutton, fish, rice, macaroni, stuffing and vegetables will be available. For information, call Jacqueline Blyden at 693-1079.
UVI Music Education Grads Plan St. Croix Benefit Concert on Nov. 15 UVI Music Education graduates along with UVI Prof. Austin A. Venzen will present a benefit recital at the Kingshill Lutheran Church on St. Croix at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15. Joining Venzen, who plays flute, will be Neils A. Gooding on saxophone, Kevre’ L. Hendricks on trumpet, Eltino S. Pickering on steel pan, and accompanist Monet I. Davis. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. For more information, call 693-1192. Proceeds will go to the benefit of the Kingshill Lutheran Church.
UVI Concert Choir to Perform a Choral Celebration Nov. 15 on St. Thomas The UVI Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Lorna Young-Wright, will present a Choral Celebration at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Nisky Moravian Church on St. Thomas. The program will include student accompanists and conductors. Soloists will include Christalia Mark, Rebecca Darling, Ledell Mulraine, Lystra Edwards and Blessyn Washington. Tickets, which may be purchased at the UVI Bookstore, the Humanities Division office and from choir members, are $15 for adults and $5 for students.
V.I. Sedimentation and Storm Water Runoff in Seminar Set Nov. 16 at UVI
The University of the Virgin Islands will host a comprehensive “Land and Sea” research seminar and leadership conference focusing on sedimentation and how to reduce environmental degradation from storm water runoff in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 16. The conference will take place at the Administration and Conference Center on the university’s St. Thomas campus.
The day-long seminar (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is sponsored by the Coral Bay Community Council and the Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR). Other partners include Eckerd College, the Island Green Building Association of St. John and the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service.
The seminar will also include an introduction to and overview of the EPA-CARE (Community Action for a Renewed Environment) activities underway in Coral Bay to reduce environmental toxics, a review of progress on the Coral Bay Watershed Management Plan and a discussion among decision makers and partners about the next steps that need to be taken.
For details or to register as a participant, contact UVI’s Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at 693-1380, or send e-mail to csetter@uvi.edu.
UVI’s Buccaneers to Host Rival Metropolitan During Paradise Jam 2009 St. Thomas fans of big-time NCAA college basketball are in for their annual fall treat, as the 2009 edition of the Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament opens on Nov. 20, at the Sports and Fitness Center on UVI’s St. Thomas campus. This year, UVI fans have a special treat, as the Buccaneers men’s basketball squad will play an LAI League game during the event. They will face off against their Puerto Rican rivals Metropolitan University on Nov. 21.
In the regular tourney, 16 Division I teams, eight men’s and eight women’s squads, will play over a two-week period, with the men’s championship game on Nov. 23 and the women’s tourney running from Nov. 26 to 28. The men’s lineup includes Boston College, DePaul, East Carolina, Northern Iowa, Purdue, Saint Joseph’s, South Dakota State and Tennessee. The women’s field, in two divisions, includes Notre Dame, Oklahoma, San Diego State, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Rutgers, Southern California and Texas.
The tournament is organized by Basketball Travelers, Inc. Information on ticket prices, game brackets and much more on the teams, as well as featured travel packages for visitors, is available from the official Paradise Jam Web site: www.paradisejam.com. Live national TV coverage of championship games has become a tournament fixture in recent years. Tickets for V.I. residents will be available at very reasonable prices.
St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair Scheduled for Dec. 5-6 The St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair will be held on Dec. 5 and 6, on the grounds of UVI’s Reichhold Center for the Arts on the University’s St. Thomas campus. The theme for this year’s fair is “Fresh Start – Grow Smart.” Applications for vendors wishing to participate are available from UVI’s Cooperative Extension Service Office and from the V.I. Department of Agriculture. Submissions of articles and advertisements for the fair program booklet are also being sought. For details, contact the Department of Agriculture at 774-5182 or the UVI Cooperative Extension Service at 693-1080.
UVI Computer Literacy Exam Dates Announced UVI’s Fall Semester Computer Literacy Exams (CLE) are being administered on both campuses. The remaining St. Thomas campus test is slated for Nov. 24. Two test dates – Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 – remain for the St. Croix campus.
The exam on the St. Thomas campus will be administered from noon to 2 p.m. in Room 103 of the Classroom Administration Building (CAB). Sign-up sheets are available in the Registrar’s Office on the first floor of the Administration and Conference Center. For more information, call 693-1160.
Exams on the St. Croix campus will be administered from noon to 2 p.m. in Room 131 of the North West Wing Building. Students can register for the test in the Academic Services Office, in the Evans Center. For more information, call 692-4090 or send e-mail to mclavie@uvi.edu.
English Proficiency Examinations Scheduled for Nov. 5 UVI’s fall semester English Proficiency Examination (EPE) test is scheduled for 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. All UVI students must meet the English Proficiency Requirement in order to graduate. For more information, contact EPE Coordinator Dr. Trevor Parris at 693-1258.
On St. Thomas, the exam will be administered in Sports and Fitness Center Rooms 221, 224 and 225. On St. Croix, the exam will be administered in Evans Center rooms 302, 303, 305 and 308. EPE registration forms are available from the Registrar’s Office on St. Thomas (693-1150) and the Academic Affairs Office on St. Croix (692-4103).
Final CLEP Test on St. Croix Campus Set Nov. 19 The last scheduled College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests of the year on UVI’s St. Croix campus will take place on Thursday, Nov. 19. The registration deadline for that test is Friday, Nov. 13. The CLEP testing program allows students to earn college credit for acquired skill and knowledge in specific subjects. Registration for the tests is available at the Access and Enrollment Services Office in Evans Center room 811. Testing begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. on each test date. Latecomers will not be allowed to take the test.
The cost associated with CLEP examinations is $72 per test. Checks or money orders are payable to CLEP (cash will not be accepted). A separate check and/or money order must be written for each test. An additional administrative fee of $15, payable to UVI, will be charged prior to the test date. For additional information, call 692-4103 or 692-4158.
VI SBDC Names Dannica Thomas 2009 State Star Dannica L. Thomas, an administrative assistant at the Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (VI SBDC), has been named the center’s State Star for 2009 as part of the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annual recognition program. She received the honor for her “extraordinary contributions to the work of the SBDC and small businesses in the territory,” said VI SBDC State Director Leonor Dottin. Thomas received the honor at the ASBDC’s 29th Annual Conference in September in Orlando, Fla. (See photo in UVI Today… photo blog.) She said she was proud to serve as a “starting point for helping so many people achieve the dream of starting and succeeding in their own businesses.” The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center is a partnership program of the University of the Virgin Islands and the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information, call 776-3206 on St. Thomas or 692-5270 on St. Croix, or visit the VI SBDC Web site: www.sbdcvi.org.
Meetings Set for VI Businesses Interested in Puerto Rico Business Connections Representatives from Puerto Rico companies interested in meeting with V.I. businesses who want to do business in Puerto Rico or who want to do business with Puerto Rican companies will be available for meetings on St. Thomas this week. Sessions are slated from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel in Charlotte Amalie. A wide variety of sectors – from food manufacturers and distributors, to engineering and construction firms, to agricultural commodities and beauty products – will be represented.
The sessions are co-sponsored by UVI’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the VI Economic Development Authority, Scotiabank, the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association and the Puerto Rico Small Business & Technology Development Centers (SBTDC). For a complete list of business sectors involved and information on how to participate, contact the VI SBDC at 776-3206 or the PR SBTDC at (787) 763-2665.
SBDC Encourages Small Businesses to Attend Senate Hearings on Economy The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is encouraging local small business persons to participate in Virgin Islands Senate hearings designed to focus on small business and overall economic development issues in the territory. Hearings are planned on St. Croix and St. Thomas by Committee on Economic Development, Energy and Technology, which is chaired by Senator-at-Large Craig Barshinger. The sessions are scheduled at 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Legislative Chambers on St. Croix, and at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Legislative Chambers on St. Thomas. Sen. Barshinger has invited persons to testify or to participate in general discussion sessions.
For additional information, contact Elizabeth Vazquez on St. Croix at 712-2307 or Micha Petersen on St. Thomas at 693-3546.
