VI Caribbean Cultural Center at UVI Celebrates 5th Anniversary

Despite hurricanes Irma and Maria’s damage to the Albert A. Sheen Campus and in proactive recovery mode throughout the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), the Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center (VICCC) celebrated its 5th Anniversary on November Nov. 9, 2017.  The anniversary celebration was held in the VICCC Administrative Conference Suite in the Delta Jackson Dorsch Residential Complex with an interactive multi-cultural and multi-generational audience of the University Virgin Islands (UVI) and wider St. Croix community.

Group members of VICCC pose for photo after 5th anniversary event

Giving opening remarks at the anniversary celebration, UVI President, Dr. David Hall said, “I want to congratulate VICCC for its consistent cultivation and promotion of Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture through numerous programs, publications, courses, internships and collaborations with various local and national partners.”

“The original vision for the Center is still unfolding and still needs the support of the UVI and broader community”, said Dr. Hall. “If we do not celebrate our culture, it will be lost; if we do not house the artifacts of our culture, they will be scattered; and if we do not support the institutions that are the caretakers of our culture, we will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Bidding the organization congratulations, Dr. Hall said, “May this five-year anniversary of VICCC remind us all that we have made tremendous progress down the pathway to greatness, but we still have a long way to go. With your support and participation, we will make the next five years even more successful than the first five years.” 

An ice-breaking discussion on “What is Culture to You?” engaging all the attendees added to the creative digital educational video which displayed VICCC’s progress from 2012 to present. This served as the background for many inspirational and congratulatory remarks, cultural heritage reflections and presentations shared during this 5th anniversary celebration from UVI students, administration, faculty and staff; partners, community supporters and advocates for VICCC. 

VICCC Director, ChenziRa Davis Kahina extended acknowledgments and thanks to the communities throughout the Virgin Islands, Caribbean and Americas that have contributed, supported, financed, prayed for and holistically donated time and resources to help the VICCC celebrate five years.

VICCC Director, ChenziRa Davis Kahina addresses audience at 5th anniversary event

VICCC is nestled within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).   VICCC is designated to produce, develop and institute state-of-the-art research, publications, multi-platform media, regional, national and international conferences, academic exchanges, collaborative initiatives, student, faculty and community partnerships; interdisciplinary resources for cultural exchanges, educational institutions and eco-heritage tourism developments. It also serves as an academic, technological, cultural heritage education and artistic cultural research center for CLASS courses, seminars, and academia embracing UVI’s innovative mission, vision and strategic goals as the only HBCU in the Caribbean and a Land Grant Institution.

UVI Students Get First Look at S.W.A.T Season Premier

UVI students pose after S.W.A.T. screening.

Lights, camera and there was plenty of on screen action as University of the Virgin Islands students on the St. Thomas Campus enjoyed a screening of the pilot of S.W.A.T., starring Shemar Moore.

Armed with popcorn, snacks and a comfortable movie theater atmosphere, students cheered to Moore’s personal message to the University of the Virgin Islands prior to the screening.

S.W.A.T. , a crime drama on CBS premiered on Nov. 2, just hours after students got their first look. The screening had been planned for much earlier but two category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, pushed back the date. 

Leon LaFonde, Student Activities Director,
serves up popcorn and snacks. 

Students jumped, squealed and laughed as the story line jumped from action to suspense laced with well placed humor. With more than 23 years of experience, some of Moore’s most memorable roles include starring as Malcom Winters on “The Young and the Restless” and as Derek Morgan on CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. Moore’s role as Hondo kept more than 75 student’s glued to their seats.

At the end, Moore asked students in a pre-recorded video to use the hashtag is #SWAT on their Twitter account @SWATCBS, Facebook @SWATCBS, Instagram @SWATCBS and the Writers Twitter account @SWATWritersRoom.

S.W.A.T. airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Students can keep up with S.W.A.T. on www.cbs.com the day after it airs.

About S.W.A.T.


Inspired by the television series and the feature film, S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a locally born and raised S.W.A.T. sergeant newly tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, former Marine Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson has everything it takes to be an excellent leader and bridge the divide between his two worlds. Hondo's elite unit includes David "Deacon" Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer who always puts the team first, despite feeling overlooked for the lead job; Jim Street, a cocky but promising new member of the group; Christina "Chris" Alonso, a skilled officer and the team's canine trainer; and Dominique Luca, an expert driver who gets them in and out of high risk situations. Overseeing the unit is Jessica Cortez, the captain of L.A. Metro who values her job above all else, including her off-the-books relations with Hondo. Hondo's team enjoys an intense rivalry with another L.A.-based unit led by Mumford, an aggressive leader who likes to do things his way. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.