Innovative Supports SAT Prep Program at UVI-CELL

Innovative reaffirmed its support of the SAT Prep Program offered to ninth and tenth grade students in the territory by UVI's Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Center with the presentation of a check for $26,600 on Monday, Nov. 29, 2010, at the CELL Center on St. Thomas.

Innovative Vice President for Public Relations and Governmental Affairs Jennifer Matarangas-King, at right, made the presentation. Accepting the donation for UVI were, from left, CELL Marketing Manager Caroline MP Simon, CELL Program Manager Debra Stevens, UVI Director of Major Gifts Mitchell Neaves and CELL Program Specialist Ayopha Stalliard. Innovative has supported the program for six years, helping more than 300 Virgin Islands students prepare for the challenges of college.

Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, is the deadline for students to apply for the 2011 program, which begins in January. For more information or to request an application, call 693-1106 or visit http://cell.uvi.edu.

St. Thomas SGA Earns NCSL Leadership Certification

A delegation from UVI's St. Thomas campus Student Government Association attended the National Conference on Student Leadership held Nov. 3-7, in Orlando, Fla. Students in attendance - from left, back row, Merl Eustache, Davin Francis, Charlesworth McCarty Jr. and Leslyn Tonge, and front row, Carlin Berridge and Randel Thompson - each earned NCSL leadership certification. The St. Thomas SGA also won recognition as the National Center for Student Leadership's (NCSL) "group of the week." For details, visit the organization’s web site – http://www.ncslcollege.com/ – or this direct link.

Buccaneers Remain Perfect in Paradise Jam Play

UVI senior guard Nahshon Jeffers, above, and freshman guard Shamal Caines contributed 13 points each to the Buccaneers' 70-54 win over Católica University of Ponce on Saturday, Nov. 20, during the 2010 edition of the U.S.V.I. Paradise Jam basketball tournament. Paradise Jam's NCAA Division I tourney games have been held at UVI's 4,000-seat Sports & Fitness Center on St. Thomas since 2001.

This is the second consecutive year the Bucs have hosted exhibition contests against Liga Atletica Interuniversitaria (LIA) opponents during the tourney. They downed LIA rival UPR-Metropolitan last year. The victory over Católica, though not as close as the last-second win over Metropolitan, proved just as satisfying to the large crowd of local fans who turned out to cheer on UVI.

A news release with additional game photos is available from the UVI website home page - www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

'You Must Graduate' Young Men at UVI are Told

Top: Members of UVI’s Brothers With a Cause (BWC), St. Thomas campus chapter, sit in rapt attention as they listen to presenter Dr. Jerry Smith at a BWC Professional Seminar Luncheon. Dr. Smith, a physical therapist, is CEO and owner of Therapy Works and is UVI’s athletic trainer. He spoke to the young men about the importance of professionalism.

Bottom: Anthony Morton, standing, asks young men about their immediate goals. Morton, a business relations manager at First Bank VI, was also a presenter. He cited daunting statistics related to young black men in the United States. “Gentlemen, without a doubt, black men need college degrees now, more than ever before,” Morton told the group of about 17. “You guys are at UVI and this is the way to go.”

The Professional Seminar Luncheon, a new initiative of BWC, seeks to introduce the group’s 30 members to successful men in the community, according to Vice President Darryl Williams.

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Bold and Decisive 'The Caribbean Writer' Launched, Memorial Planned for Former Editor

The 24th edition of the "The Caribbean Writer" was released to the public in grand style with a launch party on Sept. 30, at the Great Hall of UVI’s St. Croix campus.

The event included readings from the journal by UVI students and local contributors, live jazz by the St. Croix Central High School Jazz Band and Caribbean appetizers.

"The Caribbean Writer," an anthology produced annually by the University of the Virgin Islands, has been coined "the literary gem of the Caribbean" by its new editor Dr. Opal Palmer Adisa. Bold and decisive, volume 24 features 80 pages of poetry, 200 pages of short-stories, and personal essays by established and emerging writers from the entire Caribbean region, as well as the Caribbean diaspora. In addition, there is a special 70 page tribute to three of the Caribbean’s intellectual giants who passed last year, Rex Nettleford, Trevor Rhone and Wayne Brown. Completing this impressive collection are over 20 reviews of books by Caribbean writers and scholars.

In honor of its past editor Marvin E. Williams, the staff of "The Caribbean Writer" will host a Scholarship Drive and Memorial for Marvin E. Williams from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, in St Croix, with a videoconfrence link to the Administration and Conference Center on the St. Thomas campus. For more information visit http://www.thecaribbeanwriter.org/ or call 692-4152.