USVI Public Records

Document text

dateline: UVI June 15, 2005, vol xi, number 6 Events Calendar June 15 Swine Production Workshop STX June 15 Summer Session Registration STT/STX June 25-26 Relay for Life STT July 4 Independence Day - UVI Closed June-July CELL Courses STT The monthly newsletter of The University of the Virgin Islands UVI com- m e n c e m e n t speaker Dr. Belle Wheelan gave the St. Thomas cam- pus graduating class one last homework assign- ment before their degrees were conferred. On the St. Croix campus she gave the graduating class one last lecture. “Become a tutor. You’re the best role models the territory has to offer,” Dr. Wheelan charged the St. Thomas campus graduates. The other homework options included adopting a school or class and having employers show the relevance of school subjects to the job place, inviting teachers into the work- place so that they will know what is required of students once they leave school and opening their homes to students to teach them something. In the speech that was at times humorous, and always entertaining, Dr. Wheelan told the graduates that they will have to con- stantly re-tool themselves in or- der to keep up with technology and new ways of do- ing things. She highlighted how the world has changed since she graduated, with the inventions of items like remote controls and mi- crowave ovens, which were then considered cutting edge. “For me, the best invention was the electric typewriter.” Wheelan is the secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. “Have a dream. We die if we have no dream. And when that dream is realized, have another dream,” was one of Wheelan’s 20 life lessons that she gave in the St. Croix campus’ last lecture. Other lessons included “reach back and bring someone up with UVI Graduates Given Last Lecture and Homework China is poised to become the world’s next superpower – and that will have an impact on the Caribbean. That was the message of Carlyle Rogers, a guest lecturer at UVI’s Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders in the Caribbean. “The dawn of the Chinese global center is upon us. The Red Dragon has awoken,” Rogers told the group of 50 students, ex- plaining the effect China’s inevitable dominance will have on the world and the Caribbean. China, with its 1.3 billion population, 10 million square miles and 5,000 years of history, has experienced robust economic growth during the 1980s and into the new millennium, Rogers said. That growth, along with China’s admission into global orga- nizations such as its 2001 entry in the World Trade Organization, has boosted the Chinese self esteem, he explained. Now China is aggressively pursuing foreign interests – many of them in the Caribbean. China’s willingness to partner with nations of the region was evident by the first China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum held in February. One of the reasons for China’s foreign investments is to secure natural resources to benefit its economy, Rogers said. Still, he said, “no country can compete with China in the manufacture of goods.” “China will soon become the largest producer of tourists in China is the World’s Next Superpower Students are Told Summer Institute continued on next page Commencement continued on next page Left, husband and wife team Althea and Glenford Hodge earn their MBA’s at UVI’s St. Tho- mas campus commencement. On the St. Croix campus, identical twins Kwame and Kameel Allen earn their degrees. 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 the world,” Rogers said, noting that tourism is one of the largest industries in the region. Meanwhile, China is investing billions of dollars in companies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Cuba. The China-Panama Canal Treaty already allows China free access to the Panama Canal for fifty years, Rogers said. Additionally, several Caribbean countries have severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and have created ties with China. And many others have entered into contracts with the Chinese government worth bil- lions of dollars. “It’s interesting to know that the runways of Beijing’s airport were built with asphalt from Trinidad,” Rogers said. He said that China’s diplomatic relationship with nations of the region is cre- ating a sort of “third-world allegiance.” He encouraged students to “grasp what this country (China) is, not just where it is.” Rogers, the deputy director of Anguilla’s Financial Services Commission, is an alum of the 1995 Summer Institute. The an- nual institute held on UVI’s St. Thomas campus aims to prepare university juniors, seniors and first-year graduates for global lead- ership roles. The two-week residency program includes a series of lectures, workshops, round table discussions and forums for student leaders at institutions in the Dutch, French, English and Spanish speaking Caribbean, the United States and Europe. Summer Institute Continued Commencement Continued Radio Personality Tom Joyner (left), speaks with UVI’s VP for Institutional Advancement Joseph Boschulte (far right), as Assistant Tourism Commissioner Monique Sibilly-Hodge (second from left) and UVI President LaVerne Ragster (third from left),look on at ‘Shop be-Cause’held on St. Thomas’ Main Street on Memorial Day. Shoppers received dis- counts from selected stores and a portion of the stores’ proceeds were donated to UVI for scholarships. A total of $70,000 was raised, including a $15,000 donation from the Tom Joyner Foundation. Tom Cruises into Port with Scholarships for UVI you,” and “be as kind to the janitor as you are to the chairman of the board.” She urged the class to pave the way of opportunity and education for others. A total of 295 students graduated in the May 14 and 15 ceremonies on both campuses. V.I. Governor Charles Turnbull told the graduates to challenge themselves. When you step for- ward and challenge things, your life becomes purposeful, the Chief Executive said. “Today you have completed a significant journey, but there are other journeys you must undertake. It is through learning that we as a society will overcome challenges that we will confront,” Gov. Turnbull said. The Governor also encouraged the gradu- ates to represent UVI well. “Where ever you go, when it is appropriate, always give accolades to your alma mater the Uni- versity of the Virgin Islands.” Even the graduates realize the great responsibilities they have since earning degrees. “Your degrees are not just meant to be framed and placed on walls as a showcase,” said Khalilah Gor- don, St. Thomas campus class speaker. “We have the keys to making the future of the Virgin Islands a better one.”