SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER, 2015 – UWI TODAY
3
EDITORIAL TEAM
CAMPUS PRINCIPAL
Professor Clement Sankat
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Dr. Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill
EDITOR
Ms. Vaneisa Baksh (
)
CONTACT US
The UWI Marketing and Communications Office
Tel: (868) 662-2002, exts. 82013 / 83997 or email:
Another Brood has left the Nest
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The St. Augustine Campus
of
The UWI is extremely proud to
recognize our graduating class of
2015. As Principal, I always feel a
great sense of pride in witnessing
the fruits of the labour of these
students. We had approximately
4,000 students graduating at
the six ceremonies in October.
I congratulate you, and your
parents, guardians and loved
ones who have supported you throughout your journey.
This year, eight distinguished individuals were
conferred with honorary doctoral degrees: Justice Jean
Angela Permanand, Mr. Norman Sabga, Mr. Gérard Besson,
Dr. Marjorie Thorpe, Mr. David Rudder, Justice Ralph
Narine, Mr. Rajkumar Krishna Persad, and Mr. Hollis
Raymond Charles. I congratulate these eminent members
of our society, many of whom have also contributed
significantly to our University.The UWI is honoured to have
them in our company of scholars, teachers, administrators
and students.
At this special time, it is important to reflect on the
arduous journey that our undergraduate and more than
1,000 graduate students have endured, to be finally able to
hold their certificates in their hands. The UWI experience is
an extremely unique one, demanding, at best, but bringing
with it a distinctive perspective and experience of regional
connectivity.
Many of our graduating students will attest that the
journey for them began a long time ago; as far back as when
they were in primary school; as several of them from this
tender age already knew what they wanted to be as adults.
One can also contend that the degree of difficulty in getting
into The UWI was also quite apparent from a tender age;
being fully aware of the competitive nature of our education
system here in the Caribbean. In fact, getting into the best
educational institutions is never an easy journey anywhere
in the world and therefore one must begin preparations
from very early.
As many are aware, the marathon for our young
children in the Caribbean begins with the SEA and continues
with CSEC and CAPE. Only after demonstrating excellence
in their academic achievements, are students eligible to
enter The UWI. However, it is critical to mention that
the percentage of students accepted to pursue studies in
the seven faculties at UWI varies. Our faculty entrance
committees, led by deans, deputy deans, academic staff,
and senior administrative staff, are guided by the academic
performance of our applicants.
Meritocracy is the word we often use to describe
our system of entrance and eligibility. To this end, the
discerning factor, with regards to the selection or eligibility
process, resides primarily on the quality of the grades of
the students who apply. It is heart-breaking to say the least,
when students who have attained straight A’s in CAPE
are not accepted into some programmes; especially in
the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Some are given deferred
entry because of our capacity limitations; but the Faculty
of Medical Sciences always tries its very best, and for this I
salute them. Engineering and Law are also very competitive
Faculties. Nonetheless, this entrance evaluation process is
an approach that has been adopted by many universities
world-wide, and it has proven to be extremely valuable
in guiding our committees across all Faculties in making
transparent decisions for students applying to the more
sought after programmes.
I must also say that in spite of the current economic
challenges that confront the regional UWI at this time, we
have made some positive strides in increasing the number
of spaces available in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, in
particular to the professions of doctors and dentists. The
expansion of our student medical training facility to the
‘Teaching and Learning Hospital’ in San Fernando will see
an increase of approximately 100more students to be trained
as doctors (into the new academic year 2016-2017). In
addition, we have begun the construction of a new building
at Mt. Hope, to expand the School of Dentistry. This will
significantly allow the University to increase its intake of
students to be trained as dentists, so as to double our intake
to at least 60 students. It is our sincere hope that The UWI,
will be able, in a reasonable period of time, to provide the
capacity and service, in all faculties, to many more eligible
students who apply to be part of this regional institution.
This can only be achieved through the continued cherished
support of our national and regional governments, and also
the private sector partnerships that we are forging.
I reiterate my congratulations to our graduates, and
wish them well in their future endeavours, as they embark
on a new journey, one that may also bring with it new
challenges.
CLEMENT K. SANKAT
Pro Vice-Chancellor & Principal
OUR CAMPUS
David Michael Rudder’s
unique blend of calypso, pop,
jazz, blues heavily influenced by the Shango rhythms of
his childhood, transcends boundaries of genre, culture,
ethnicity, language and geography. His lyrics have so
captured the essence of what it means to be Trinidadian,
Tobagonian, Caribbean, human – that many of his songs
have become unofficial anthems across the region and
resonate with audiences near and far.
He grew up in Belmont and began singing with a
group called The Solutions when he was 11 years old.
As a young man he worked as an accountant during
the day while moonlighting as a back-up singer at Lord
Kitchener’s Calypso Revue tent. In 1977, at age 24, he
joined the popular band, Charlie’s Roots and in 1986
his solo career started with a bang when he released his
first album, The Hammer, which contained what are
now calypso classics: The Hammer and Bahia Gyal. The
following year he issued another classic, Calypso Music
and in 1998 came the Haiti album featuring the haunting
song of the same name and the cricket anthem, Rally
’Round the West Indies.
David Rudder made history in 1986 by winning
almost every calypso competition that season: the Young
King title, National Calypso Monarch, the Road March
and Panorama. By his own account, it was after he won
the Calypso Monarch crown that none other than the
Mighty Sparrow gave him a new name – King David.
Since then the awards and accolades – locally and abroad
– have continued to flow like water.
In 1992, now Professor Emeritus, Gordon Rohlehr
heralded Rudder as “A Mighty Poet of a Shallow People
in a Savage Time.” In songs such as Another Day in
Paradise, Hosay and High Mas, to name just a few,
David Rudder has used his music to hold up a mirror to
Trinidad and Tobago society, to plumb the depths of the
region’s collective soul and to call attention to the plight
of the oppressed in places such as Haiti and South Africa.
In 1996, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for
the United Nations Development Programme.
Over the course of his career, David Rudder has
released more than 30 albums. He has performed
across the Caribbean, North America, Europe and
Japan, sharing stages with renowned musicians. Back
at home his collaborations in the 1980s and 1990s with
mas designer, Peter Minshall, are legendary and today
he works with and inspires a new generation of local
music artistes. He has made forays into acting on both
the large and small screens and while best known for his
music, this former apprentice to the late master copper
craftsman, Ken Morris, still paints today and actually
sees himself more as an artist rather than an entertainer.
(Nicole Huggins-Boucaud)
The
MIGHTY POET
PHOTO: GUYTN OTTLEY
