Virgin Islands First Lady Cecile deJongh, second from left, and UVI President Dr. David Hall, back-right, were among supporters attending the kickoff of the Virgin Islands’ Big Read 2010 program on Friday, Jan. 22, on St. John. The V.I. Big Read is part of a national effort to spur a return to reading. It is sponsored by the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts in partnership with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources – Division of Libraries, Archives, UVI’s Reichhold Center for the Arts and the UVI IT Learning Resources & Student Technology and Services Area, the Department of Education and the V.I. Police Department. UVI students are invited to participate in an essay contest held in conjunction with the Big Read. Students can register at UVI’s libraries on St. Croix and St. Thomas from Jan. 25 through Feb. 12. The contest ends March 3. Winners will be announced during UVI’s Charter Week activities in March.

- Photo courtesy Government House

Musical Journey from Soweto

About 200 public and private school students took part in an artists-in-residence session hosted by UVI’s Reichhold Center for the Arts on Jan. 15. Members of the Soweto Gospel Choir gave a short version of the performance they planned that evening for the general public. Reichhold co-director Denise Humprhey said students were given informational sheets on the choir before they took part in the special performance so they could ask questions afterwards. Performers were asked about their musical careers, their South African homeland, and the places they had traveled as part of the group and whether they perform rap music … they do.

The Reichhold appearance of the Soweto Gospel Choir is part of the group’s current world tour with scheduled stops in Holland, France and Fiji, among others.

Patient students queue up at one of the stations in the Registrar’s Office in the Administration and Conference Center on the UVI St. Thomas campus Jan. 8. Hundreds of students came to make sure there were seats available in the classes of their choice. Parents and former students also stopped by to help friends and family by collecting information they need to complete the registration process. Administrators spent the day helping those with specific concerns.

Classes for the 2010 spring semester are set to begin for both the St. Thomas and the St. Croix campuses on Jan. 11.

Spring Semester 2010 Set to Begin

Dr. Eustace Esdale, Dean of the UVI Business Division, asks students to signal their intention to study business during the Spring 2010 semester. Close to 100 students attended a Tuesday afternoon presentation covering what it takes to succeed academically as a UVI student. The presentation was part of a day long orientation for new, international, and transfer students who will join the student body when classes begin Jan. 11.