USVI Public Records

Document text

As the number of men attending col- leges and universities across the nation continues to dwindle, the University of the Virgin Islands is also seeing the effects. It is a trend that Sean Georges, UVI St. Thomas campus Student Housing super- visor, didn’t hesitate to tell young men gathered for the “Men on the Move” ses- sion that was part of the Fall ’04 Orienta- tion activities on the St. Thomas campus. Georges said that some of the male/ female ratios are as low as one to seven and that the decline in male students is not unique to types of colleges or the ethnicity of the students, it simply means that “more men are not seeking higher education.” Georges told male students that in light of the statistics, they should be focused on one thing. “The accom- plishment of getting your degree is the bottom line,” he said. Georges and two other men – Assistant U.S. Attorney Azekah Jennings and Stevie Henry a data man- ager at UVI’s Con- servation Data Cen- ter – gave the male students advice about making the most of their college experience and, more importantly, making it through their college experience. They spoke about topics rang- ing from time management to drug use to safe sex. “Get a good education in a wholesome environment – par- ticipate in everything,” Jennings said, stressing the importance of a well-rounded experience. The steps to doing that, he said, in- clude determining what is important, taking time to rest, eating right and exercising. “Everyday we’re being conditioned,” said Jennings. “When it comes to time, you also need to be conditioned,” he said, noting dateline: UVI The monthly newsletter of The University of the Virgin Islands August 27, 2004 vol x, number 8 Events Calendar Aug. 27 Comedy Jam STX Aug. 27 EPSCoR Lecture STT/STT Sept. 6 Labor Day Fun Day STT Sept. 10 Graduate Fair STT Sept. 11 Alumni Reception STX Sept. 11 Class of ‘05 Meeting STT Sept. 16 Leadership Orientation STT Focus on “the Bottom Line” New UVI Males are Told the importance of keeping a schedule. Henry agreed, telling the young men that they needed a map. Plot out your college career with a focus on communication, time and money management, and man- agement of your sex lives, Henry said. He suggested that the men build relation- ships with other students, professors and school administrators so that they can know where to turn in times of need. While female companionship is com- monplace, Jennings cautioned, “Relation- ships are fun, but they can be danger- ous.” He encouraged male students to reach out to others if they become de- pressed or fall upon “a hard time.” “Your success is my success,” Jennings said. “I prefer that you talk to me as a friend, rather than to see you sitting across the table from me that says ‘defendant,’” he told the group before giving them his telephone num- ber. All of the pre- senters welcomed the male students to contact them in time of need. At the new and transfer student orientation held on the St. Thomas campus, the common theme touted by administrators was participation. “This isn’t just about coming to school and taking a few classes. It’s about the whole university experience,” said St. Thomas campus Chancellor Dr. John Leipzig as he encouraged the students to participate in extracurricular activities. After welcoming students to the University, UVI Provost Dr. Gwen-Marie Moolenaar also told the students that participation in extracurricular activi- ties will complete their university experience. Sean Georges, who addressed the new UVI male population, urged participation inside and outside of the classroom. “Ask questions,” Georges told them. “No one is going to ask you if you did your homework.” New Students Encouraged to Participate Assistant U.S. Attorney Azekah Jennings speaks to male students on the UVI St. Tho- mas campus at the orientation session “Men on the Move.” 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 Passionate Alumni Learn Fundraising Strategies at Workshop Asking someone for money is never easy – but getting donor spon- sorship is often the lifeblood of non- profit organizations. On August 21, alumni of Thurgood Marshall Schol- arship Fund (TMSF) colleges and universities learned how to do just that – ask for money, and get it. Dave Sternberg taught attendees strategies and tips of fundraising in a presentation titled, “The Role of Alumni and Volunteers in the Fundraising Process.” Sternberg is the associate director of public ser- vice at The Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s Fund Raising School. Alumni from TMSF member colleges and uni- versities in the territory were invited to attend. Nearing the end of the free, all-day workshop the 30 attend- ees were divided into groups of three. In each group two people were chosen to be solicitors while the other posed as a repeat donor. The scenario: UVI needed to raise money for a commu- nity center on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses – to be built brick by brick and solicitors were given the charge to raise the money. If it was real life, UVI would have done well be- cause each solicitor received some amount of sponsorship, even though most had to put up a hard fight. The solicitors learned that they needed to be prepared be- fore they ask for money – be prepared with all the necessary information of the institution and be prepared about the back- ground of the donor. “It gave a new, fresh perspective on calculated (fundraising) strategies,” Howard University Alum Edward C. Jones said of the workshop. Jones, a former fundraising chair of the local Howard University alumni chapter, plans to reactivate the group and stimulate them to fundraise as they did in the past. The meeting signaled the “first time in more than 10 years that most of the (UVI Alumni Asso- ciation) chapter representatives came together,” said UVI Alumni Af- fairs Supervisor Jacqueline Sprauve. Imani Marley Husband (UVI ’96) who lives in Atlanta, said what she learned will be helpful in forming the UVI Alumni Association South- east Chapter. That chapter, which Husband is organizing, will consist of UVI alumni in Georgia, North Caro- lina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. “Because we are new, we need money to pay for chartering and scholarships,” Husband said. “I never stop trying to make them active,” Jennifer Turnbull (UVI ’76) said of UVI alumni in the Miami region that she rep- resents. She hopes to jump-start the Miami chapter and use what she learned at the workshop to fundraise. Sternberg said the attendees’ passion will ensure their fundraising success. “It doesn’t matter how much fundraising experience you have – passion is key,” he said. The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, a merit-based scholarship program, was established in 1987 to assist students who have demonstrated a commitment to education. Its colleges and universities constitute some of the nation’s largest and most prestigious institutions. Thurgood Marshall, who successfully argued the 1954 landmark case Brown v. Board of Education that ordered the desegregation of the nation’s public schools, was the first African American to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. A UVI alum addresses a group of alumni of Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) colleges and universities at a workshop held in August. UVI is a TMSF member.