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dateline: UVI The monthly newsletter of The University of the Virgin Islands November 21, 2003 vol ix, number 11 Events Calendar Nov. 20-30 Paradise Jam STT Nov. 23 History of St. Croix Furniture STX Nov. 24 CELL Sneak Preview STT Nov. 25 CELL Sneak Preview STX Nov. 28-Dec.1 Play: “Man Better Man” STT Torrential Rainfall Drenches the V.I. UVI Employees Rescue Colleague from Rushing Flood Top: Flood waters form a pool at the western boundary of UVI’s St. Croix campus near the residence hall. Bottom: A student on the St. Thomas campus walks through the rain to the CA Building. Photo by Peter Abrahams The 15 inches of rain that drenched the Virgin Islands in just one week, causing floods and mudslides, did not spare the Uni- versity of the Virgin Is- lands. UVI has reported approximately $118,000 in damages - with $17,000 in damages on the St. Croix campus and $101,000 on the St. Thomas campus. The Virgin Islands has been experiencing frequent rainfall since the beginning of November. Almost a week of steady downpours began in the afternoon on Monday, November 10. Around noon that day the St. Croix campus lost electricity and was on generator power until the Water and Power Authority restored regular power three days later. It was on that same Monday, Novem- ber 10, that UVI employee Holly Gayadeen got trapped in her car by flood waters. While traveling on Route 669, which runs from Centerline Road to Melvin Evans Highway, on her way to work the midnight shift as a security guard on the St. Croix campus, Gayadeen’s car stalled. With water rising rapidly around her, Gayadeen made a frantic call on her cell phone to Ralph Cook, her boss and security su- pervisor. Cook and another employee, Michael Javois, left for Gayadeen in the UVI security vehicle, while another employee, Samuel Joseph, stayed on the line with her. Soon Celestine Cuffy, another security guard, realized how dangerous Gayadeen’s situ- ation was, and headed out in his personal vehicle to get her, passing Cook and Javois on the way. When Cuffy arrived on the scene his vehicle also stalled. Cuffy got out of his truck wading through waist-high water, making his way to Gayadeen, who was still in her ve- hicle. She grabbed onto Cuffy’s neck and he helped her to safe ground. By that time, Cook and Javois arrived and their vehicle also stalled. They exited the vehicle into rushing, chest-high water. Cuffy went back into the wa- ter, forming a human chain with Javois and Cook until all were safe. UVI was closed the next day in obser- vance of Veteran’s Day. The continuing showers caused UVI to close on November 12 also. Peter Abrahams, St. Croix campus director of business and facilities, commended members of the staff. He said that while most UVI employees were at home, the grounds, custodial and maintenance employees on the St. Croix campus were busy clearing the grounds and making repairs. Thanks to the determination and com- mitment of employees, UVI was able to pull through what may have been a disaster. With grounds still saturated, the territory braces itself for more forecasted rain. dateline:UVI 2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . . . www.uvi.edu dateline:UVI is a production of the UVI Public Relations Office. Contact us by telephone at (340) 693-1056 FAX: (340) 693-1055 GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . . . www.uvi.edu Eleven students from the Associate Degree nursing pro- gram on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix cam- pus attended the Caribbean Nurses’ Organization (CNO) convention held on October 24 and 25 in Antigua, West Indies. It was the CNO’s first ever convention for students. Nurs- ing students from many of the CNO’s 26 Caribbean member countries gathered to share in- formation. The group also dis- cussed plans to form a Carib- bean Nursing Students Orga- nization as an offshoot of CNO. The UVI nursing students made an educational presenta- tion titled, “Nurse, Is My Blood Pressure OK?: Teaching Your Patients the Meaning and Im- portance of Systolic and Diastolic.” It included four role-play scenarios illustrating the correct techniques of communicat- ing health information to patients. UVI Students Attend Nursing Convention in Antigua “This was an excellent op- portunity for the students to be- come involved in a professional organization at the very begin- ning of their careers,” said Joan Marsh, chairwoman of the St. Croix campus Nursing Divi- sion. “Hopefully they will con- tinue their active involvement as they progress through their careers, supporting the territo- rial nurses associations as well as the Caribbean Nurses Or- ganization,” she added. At the convention Joanna Santana, vice president of the Student Nurses’ Association (SNA) St. Croix chapter, dis- covered that throughout the Caribbean the profession faces similar challenges, including low salary, the migration of regis- tered nurses and the lack of male nurses. SNA President Paulette Jarvis said that gathering with so many other student nurses helped the members of her chap- ter to bond. “If we work together from the beginning, we will succeed together,” Jarvis said. “I’m trying to instill that.” The two-day convention marked the CNO’s 46th year and the opening of the new CNO directorate in Antigua. Marsh and nursing professor Janzie Allmacher accompa- nied the students to the convention. UVI students and professors at the Caribbean Nurses’ Organi- zation convention in Antigua. Top, left to right - Alicia Emannuel, Gena-Del Cole, Judy Christian, Jennifer Chancellor, Ivelisse Colon, Kenice Pemberton, Joanna Santana and Professor Janzie Allmacher. Bottom, left to right - Professor Joan Marsh, Mary Jane Katowa, Sharla James, Kinara Gresham and Paulette Jarvis. The 22nd annual St. Thomas/St. John Agriculture and Food Fair has been cancelled due to conditions caused by recent inclement weather. Efforts by the fair committee to postpone the fair were complicated by upcoming scheduled events. Vendor refunds will be available from November 24 through November 26, at the UVI Extension Service office on St. Thomas and the Department of Agriculture office at Lower Love on St. Croix. Ag Fair Cancelled