UWI students: ‘Much more than a Carnival’

Ahead of the semester best known for carnival celebrations at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, the Guild of Students has promised that this time around, they will be engaging in much more than revelry.

While partying is still very much on the agenda, Guild President Thacher Loutin has announced plans to launch a breakfast feeding programme along with numerous welfare initiatives aimed at enhancing the lives of dozens of students in need.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, she revealed that the breakfast programme which begins on Thursday will be extended to all students who do not live on campus.

Loutin said: “We will provide a free breakfast for all of our commuting students because some of them are coming from really far like St. Lucy and St. Philip in the morning, so from 7 a.m. we will be providing breakfast, tea, coffee and food and fruits that they can use throughout the day because some students are here 12 hours a day.”

The Guild president added that a similar programme is in the pipeline for students living on campus and she hopes to expand it along with a “guild pantry”, which providing groceries, particularly for regional and international students experiencing financial difficulties.

She also revealed that after being announced last year, the 500×50 project was now taking root and would soon allow UWI alumni to make donations toward the Guild’s financial aid programmes.

Other Guild officers, including the Faculty of Science and Technology representative Taton David announced plans to improve the holistic development of students through key initiatives like an upcoming science fair. According to David, the initiative will give students the opportunity to present technological solutions to many of the region’s challenges.

As the University confronts accusations of integration issues across the campus, Guild Vice President Debra Francis has announced an initiative which she says will help to rebuild the university’s image while beautifying the campus.   

Said Francis: “I  know it’s been said that we have been having integration issues on campus but we wanted to show the public that this is not really true.

“So we are asking each club and island association to adopt one bench on campus to paint and reflect their association.

“That way, not only are we beautifying the campus and its surroundings, but we can show everyone how integrated we are and how beautiful our differences are and celebrate that.”

The Guild’s National Affairs Committee Chairperson Siobhan Phipps who is coordinating UWI’s Carnival which is scheduled to climax in early April, assured Barbados TODAY that along with the many other initiatives planned for the semester, the annual event will maintain and even surpass its usual standard.

“This year, we are introducing two new events that we hope to pull of on campus, though I can’t say what they are yet,” revealed Phipps.

She added: “One of my main mandates stepping into this role is the improvement of regional integration and cultural representation so we are hoping that these two events will bring a feeling of home given that our campus is the most diverse of UWI. (KS)