Guild Fest, UWI St Augustine’s signature student-led event, returns after two-year hiatus
Kyle Bisnath, Guild Vice President, and Shenelle Vincent, Guild Public Relations Officer, welcoming attendees to Guild Fest. PHOTOS: COURTESY UWI ST AUGUSTINE GUILD OF STUDENTS
The level of excitement was palpable as UWI’s Guild Fest returned triumphantly to campus this year. After two years off campus due to the pandemic, new and returning students were ready to fully embrace this year’s theme “We Out and Back”, participating in events and activities like Club Pop Up, Spiritual Night, Entrepreneurial Expo, and Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) Fest.
Jointly organised annually by the Guild Council and the Guild Administrative Office within the Division of Student Services and Development (DSSD), Guild Fest has been a highly anticipated student event.
Kyle Bisnath, Vice President of the Guild of Students, explained that it was conceived to foster cooperation among clubs and societies; to improve student affairs through collaboration and increased participation; and to enhance the overall student experience.
Amanda Best-Noel, Manager of the Guild Administrative Office, declared that, “The main goal of Guild Fest remains to orient new students to out-of-classroom engagement opportunities while welcoming back returning students to campus life.”
This year’s event also helped with the rejuvenation of student campus life.
“For our culture night of Guild Fest, the membership turnout exceeded expectations, which was an amazing sight to experience,” said Bisnath.
First-year student Xaviella Millette declared that she enjoyed visiting the many booths with her friends and eating free food.
The choices of festival events were made to appeal to a wide range of students, said Best-Noel. “There is an engagement opportunity for every student given their interest presented annually in one space. We work to marry the efforts of academia with student support services, campus clubs, associations and NGOs as out-of-classroom opportunities that can further ignite students’ passions.”
This year’s addition of an entrepreneurial showcase helped with this aim. Businesses like Nika’s Cake Shoppe TT, Packaged Online Grocery Ltd, Flower Boi Nurseries, Fashion DuJour, Rhean's Virtual Assistance Services, and many more illustrated the diversity of the UWI community. The organisers anticipated that the venture would not only support student business owners, but empower them and encourage innovation.
The student response to it all exceeded expectations. “The consensus of the membership is one of excitement as they thoroughly enjoyed being back on campus,” said Bisnath.
Best-Noel agreed. “Our students both new and returning expressed their delight and excitement having been welcomed back to campus by the Guild.”
Xaviella revealed that her friends from previous years recommended that she attend Guild Fest, and she was glad she did.
“It's important to hold such events so that all years, especially first years, become integrated into The UWI life and experience,” she said.
After all their efforts, the response has proved to be reward enough for the event coordinators from the Guild and the DSSD.
“Conducting Guild Fest was an amazing experience, and after having the campus physically dormant for two years, seeing it explode as a firework of student engagement, innovation and entrepreneurship could not have been more satisfying,” said Bisnath.
Best-Noel expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, and hopes that the next Guild Fest will feature the return of one of the campus’ signature events: fan favourite Taste of UWI, an exhibition of international cuisine. She also hopes that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be represented in the future.
“I would like to see intentional awareness efforts, and action on zero hunger and no poverty goals by way of an orientation service learning project,” she explained. “I think it is important that we create a framework for awareness of the SDGs within Guild Fest and how these goals can be supported in student programming.”
After the invigorating experience, Bisnath said he encourages the next Guild Fest organisers to carry on celebrating the diversity of the student culture and to “continue to ensure the bright flame that is the student experience at the St Augustine Campus continues to burn for the years to come”.
