UWI students take top spots at US Student Leadership Conference

By Balford Henry, Senior Staff Reporter

Saturday, January 31, 2015 | 1:20 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Garrick Donaldson and Rashaun Kanute Watson, undergraduate students in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies, Mona took first and second places respectively at the Charles E Williams II Advanced Leadership Institute annual Oratorical Contest in the USA.

The contest was staged at the 27th South-western Black Student Leadership Conference on Saturday, January 24 at the Texas A&M University. The UWI was also presented with an award for International Recognition.

The subject this year was, “Homicide is the leading cause of death amongst African American youth ages 15-24″.

Black youth in the US are 10 times more likely to be victims of homicide than their white peers. On August 9, 2014 an unarmed 18-year old African American male, Michael Brown, was shot 6 times and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, as Brown and a friend were approaching the sidewalk. After his death the photos of Brown that were used, not only, portrayed a negative image of Brown; but young black males over all.

Mainstream media and commercial advertising continue to portray African-Americans in stereotypical roles with anti-black images. How did you believe the media framed the shooting of Michael Brown and why? Do you believe this situation stood for the justice and equality our nation prides itself on?

The Charles E Williams Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) is a special forum specifically for seasoned student leaders who have demonstrated their abilities at their own colleges.

ALI pushes these students to take it to the next level. This limited enrolment programme is held in conjunction with Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC), but provides a more in-depth workshop line-up and one-on-one attention.

The UWI participants received a generous contribution from the principals office.

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UWI students take top spots at US Student Leadership Conference

Police say human remains could be missing UVA student Hannah Graham - VIDEO: Remains sent to Richmond to be identified

Police say human remains found Saturday in Virginia could be those of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham – who was last seen on Sept. 13.

Further forensic tests are needed to confirm whether the remains are those of Hannah Graham, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo told a news conference. The remains were found on an abandoned property in southern Albemarle County by a search team from the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, Longo said. They are being transported to Richmond for identification.

“Right now we have the discovery of human remains and a great deal of work ahead of us,” said Col. Steve Sellers, Albemarle County Police chief. “We cannot and will not jump to any conclusions regarding today’s discovery. I ask for the public’s patience as we move forward and pursue what is now a new, ongoing death investigation.”

Authorities are asking anyone who recalls seeing any suspicious activity or vehicles in the area of Old Lynchburg Road in Charlottesville – where the remains were found – to contact the Albemarle County Police Department at 434-296-5807.

Thousands of volunteers had searched for the 18-year-old Graham in the weeks since her disappearance.

Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, has been charged with abduction with intent to defile Graham. A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 4 on the charge. In the meantime, Matthew is being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Police officials Saturday afternoon had blocked the road leading to the site where the remains were found.

Surveillance videos captured some of what Graham did the night she vanished. Authorities say she met friends at a restaurant for dinner Sept. 12 before stopping by two parties at off-campus housing units. She left the second party alone and eventually texted a friend saying she was lost, authorities said.

She can be seen walking unsteadily and even running at times, past a pub and a service station and then onto a seven-block pedestrian strip that includes the Tempo Restaurant.

Tempo Restaurant owner Brice Cunningham has said Graham appeared to be incapacitated as she walked away with Matthew. Police have said they have no reason to believe she and Matthew knew each other before their encounter.

Matthew, an operating room technician at the university’s hospital who sometimes drives a taxi, had been drinking at the bar earlier that night before he encountered Graham, Cunningham has said.

A week after Graham went missing, Longo publicly described Matthew in detail without naming him, saying investigators wanted to talk to the “person of interest” and had searched his apartment because he was the last person to see her.

Matthew showed up at police headquarters, asked for a lawyer, and then sped away, according to a police account. His exit prompted a warrant for “reckless driving,” a charge that Longo cited as he named the suspect and appealed for information from anyone who saw him with Graham the night she disappeared.

Matthew was arrested a few days later in Galveston, Texas.

While Matthew was a fugitive in Texas, Virginia police added a charge of abduction with intent to defile, a violent felony that under Virginia law compels suspects to submit to DNA testing.

Very quickly thereafter, Virginia State Police announced a “forensic link” to Harrington’s killing. That case, in turn, has been linked by DNA evidence since 2012 to the rape of a woman in Fairfax, Virginia, who survived after a passer-by startled her attacker, the FBI has said.

Following Matthew’s arrest, Christopher Newport University released a statement noting that he had been named in a police file involving a Sept. 7, 2003 sexual assault on the Newport News campus. Matthew was a student there from January 2003 through Oct. 15, 2003.

Matthew had transferred to CNU after three years at Liberty University, where he also was briefly on the football team.

When he was at Liberty University, he was accused of raping a student on campus. That charge was dropped when the person declined to move forward with prosecution, Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Doucette said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Police say human remains could be missing UVA student Hannah Graham - VIDEO: Remains sent to Richmond to be identified

Body found in US hunt for student

19 October 2014 Last updated at 10:54 Hannah Graham went missing after a night out Virginia police say they have found a body which could be that of British-born student Hannah Graham, 18, who vanished in Charlottesville last month.

It was discovered in an abandoned property in Albemarle County, where the remains of another missing student were found in 2010.

Jesse Matthew, 32, was charged last month with abducting Ms Graham for the purpose of sexual assault.

Police are linking him to the earlier disappearance, and to a rape in 2012.

He was taken into custody by police in Galveston, Texas, 1,300 miles (2,092km) from where Ms Graham was last seen.

Thousands of volunteers searched areas of Virginia after the disappearance of the 18-year-old, who was born in Reading, southern England, and moved to the US with her parents at the age of five.

At the time of her disappearance. Miss Graham had been in her second year of study at the University of Virginia, where she was described as a bright student who got top marks in her exams.

CCTV footage

Charlottesville police chief Timothy J Longo said officers had contacted Ms Graham’s parents shortly after a search team found a body just before noon (16:00GMT) on Saturday and made a preliminary identification.

Albemarle County Police: “This sadly is now a death investigation”

Positive identification would only be made after a post-mortem conducted by the state medical examiner, Det Sgt James Mooney of the Charlottesville Police Department told local media.

Mr Matthew, a nursing assistant, was identified as a suspect soon after Ms Graham’s disappearance.

Witnesses reported seeing a man matching his physical description drinking with Ms Graham on the night she went missing, and he appeared twice in CCTV footage walking alongside her, police said.

Police released a wanted poster for Jesse Matthew as they charged him with abduction

At 01:20, Ms Graham sent a text message to a friend saying she had got lost after an evening of drinking and socialising in the town. She was not seen or heard from again.

The following day, police searched Mr Matthew’s apartment and vehicle. He then visited a Charlottesville police station accompanied by relatives, spoke briefly with officers and asked for a lawyer.

When he was released, he drove away from the police station at high speed, prompting police to charge him with reckless driving and obtain a warrant for his arrest.

By the following Tuesday, investigators said they had gathered enough evidence to charge him with abduction “with intent to defile”, a charge in Virginia which means kidnapping with the motive of sexual assault.

Mr Longo said Mr Matthew’s arrest had also provided a “forensic link” to the case of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20, who went missing from Charlottesville in October 2009.

Her body was found on a farm in Albemarle County three months after she went missing.

Ms Harrington’s case has been linked by DNA evidence since 2012 to the rape of a woman in Fairfax, Virginia, who survived after a passer-by startled her attacker, the FBI says.

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Body found in US hunt for student

Massive demand for student housing

BY TERRON DEWAR Business reporter dewart@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, September 24, 2014    

THE University of the West Indies (UWI) has entered into a public private partnership (PPP) to build 1,584 rooms in three years to meet the growing demand for student accommodation.

The Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB), lead financier, and the National Commercial Bank (NCB) have signed a syndicate loan agreement valued $4 billion with the proposed developer and operator — 138 Student Living Jamaica Ltd — to build the facility on the university campus.

At the end of the project, the university will be able to house approximately 5,200 students.

Just over two years ago, the UWI completed the construction of two new halls of residence, adding another 1,000 rooms to its then existing batch of approximately 2,500.

The Mona campus now has a total of nine halls of residence, offering accommodation to only 3,600 of the almost 16,000 students who attend the university.

According to Jason McKensie, acting director of students’ services and development on the Mona campus, hall managers have reported that occupancy currently stands at 100 per cent.

The demand for student accommodation is equally as high at the neighbouring University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), which boasts a student population of approximately 14,000, and has less than 230 rooms on campus, with the majority of them being double and even triple occupancy spaces.

Much like UWI, hundreds of students are unsuccessful in their bid to secure a room at UTech yearly.

This unfulfilled demand has created a thriving rent market in the adjoining communities, with vacancies oftentimes being filled as soon as they are advertised for rent.

A representative at the Rent Assessment Board told the Business Observer that the institution is currently unable to quantify the number of households that offer rooms for rent in the area.

This is largely due to the non-compliance of landlords to register the properties with the board, as required by the Rent Restriction Act.

It is, however, believed that the houses that offer spaces for rent to students easily top the 1,500 mark, with owners sometimes offering their entire house for rent.

Private developers have also sought to get in on the action. Just three years ago, West Indies Home Construction Company opened a residential complex with 50 apartments within 1,000 metres of UWI’s main gate.

The complex, called Aqueduct Gates, has only two-and three-bedroom apartments that can be rented with or without furniture at $85,000 and $100,000 monthly, respectively.

While this facility is not exclusive to students, those who can afford to seek accommodation there, do. The complex is also now operating at maximum capacity.

Fees for on-campus housing span anywhere from $14,000 up to $42,000 monthly, across both universities, and are generally increased annually, in line with the inflation rate.

Much like that which obtains off-campus, prices are generally determined by the quality of the residential facilities and the number of people who share common spaces, and are inclusive of basic amenities such as electricity, water, Internet and laundry facilities.

Residential fees on the UTech, Jamaica campus are currently charged on an annual basis. It currently costs $126,000 per student for triple occupancy rooms and $173,000 each for double occupancy arrangements.

At the start of this school year, UWI adopted a policy of allowing students the option to pay their accommodation fees monthly.

At the higher end of the spectrum, students currently pay as much as $42,000 monthly for self-contained studio units, while double occupancy rooms on some traditional halls go for $21,000 monthly.

The UWI currently has a lodgings unit that has the mandate to help students to find accommodation off campus. The unit currently has a database of over 400 homeowners who offer spaces for rent annually.

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Massive demand for student housing

Suspect accused of abducting UVA student back in Va. to face charges

Sept. 25, 2014: Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. is escorted into a courtroom for an appearance before 405th District Court Judge Michelle Slaughter regarding his extradition back to Virginia in Galveston, Texas. (AP)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. –  The man charged with abducting a missing University of Virginia student is back in Charlottesville after being arrested in Texas.

Capt. Aaron Carver of the Albermarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail confirmed Friday evening that the suspect is in custody there.

Authorities have charged 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. with abduction with intent to defile Hannah Graham, an 18-year-old sophomore from northern Virginia who has been missing since Sept. 13.

Matthew was arrested on a beach near Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday. He did not fight extradition to Virginia, where he could make an initial court appearance late next week.

Police say they still have no idea about Graham’s whereabouts. They have said Matthew was the last person seen with her.

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Suspect accused of abducting UVA student back in Va. to face charges

Barkeep, student charged with possession of stolen motor vehicle

A bartender and a student were hauled before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday after they were allegedly found to be in possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Charged with receiving stolen property and fraudulent use of license plates is bartender Hezekiah Walker and student Stephanie Nelson, both of Runaway Bay, St Ann.

The Crown alleges that on Sunday, September 14, about 11 p.m., a police party from the Runaway Bay Police Station, acting on information, went to the home of the two accused, who are said to be in a relationship.

A grey 2010 Nissan Tiida was discovered in their possession, along with three sets of registration plates and other car documents. The vehicle is valued at $1.8 million.

It was revealed that the car had been stolen late last year in Stony Hill, St Andrew, and was said to have been purchased for $750,000 from an individual known to the couple.

Both accused were granted bail in the sum of $400,000.

They are to return to court on November 5.

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Barkeep, student charged with possession of stolen motor vehicle

UWI Cave Hill campus sees Barbados student enrollments plummet

University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus in Barbados (Credit: Facebook/UWI Cave Hill)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Wednesday September 10, 2014, CMC – The Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies has confirmed a drastic decline in the number of Barbadian students enrolling at the tertiary institution this academic year as the government’s austerity measures begin to take effect.

Campus Registrar, Ken Walters told reporters that overall, there had been a total of 1,468 students registering this academic year, as compared with 2,240 at the start of the last academic year in 2013.

Last year, Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Chris Sinckler in his 2013-14 budget presentation, said that effective 2014, Barbadian students pursuing studies at the university’s three campuses will be required to pay their own tuition fees, while the government continues to fund economic costs.

Sinckler said the tuition fees range from BDS$5,625 to BDS$65,000 (One Barbados dollar=US$0.50 cents) and that the new policy would reduce the transfer to UWI by an estimated BDS$42 million a year.

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Walters said that the faculties most affected by the decline in student population were Humanities and Education, and that a high percentage decline in medical science and post graduate students.

Walter said that the decline in post graduate students could also have further effect for the future socio-economic development of Barbados given that management studies were developed in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

“If our students are not looking at these seriously, I think that is where the gap may occur in terms of the development plans,” he said.

There were only 477 graduate students registering in 2014, compared to 875 in 2013, a 45 per cent reduction.

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UWI Cave Hill campus sees Barbados student enrollments plummet

Uwi student charged for ammo possesion

A university student, who is said to be on a full scholarship, was fined $20,000 or six months yesterday in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’sCourt after he was caught with an empty drink box loaded with ammunition.

Charged with illegal possession of ammunition is 22-year-old Shevon Brown, a undergraduate at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

He pleaded guilty to the offence.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, in handing down the fine said, “One chance is all I am giving you.”

This was based on the bail application put forward by the attorney representing the accused man, who attributed many positives in relation to his academics and background.

The court heard that on the day in question a police team was on patrol in a Kingston community when Brown was spotted walking with the box in his hand.

Reports are that the police became suspicious and after a search was conducted the assorted rounds were found.

The court did not give the exact number, however, the clerk of court disclosed, “They found quite a lot, Your Honour.”

The court also heard that a family member gave Brown the box to deliver.

Brown has been in custody since August 29. A fingerprint order was also made against Brown.

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Uwi student charged for ammo possesion

Meet Brother Jimmy: reggae student

Entertainment

Richard Johnson Sunday, September 01, 2013

IN his song Music Lesson, reggae king Bob Marley declared: “Music gonna teach them one lesson.”That has been the experience of Brother Jimmy, a media personality from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.The dreadlocked presenter of a cable television magazine show, says reggae music has been an influential force in his life. He says growing up in the French department, he was not exposed to the teachings of black leaders.“I was 12 years old when I first started listening to reggae. Man like Jacob Miller, Burning Spear and of course Bob Marley,” Brother Jimmy explains.”I hear them sing about people like Marcus Garvey, (Ethiopian Emperor Haile) Selassie and other black leaders. I start to ask myself, ‘who is Garvey’? It force me to go and learn about my black history. Reggae music is the story of my culture, it help me find my way,” he asserts in a thick French accent.This sense of black identity comes over in his television show, BWorld Connection (which means Black World Connection).“The concept of the show is simple — to highlight examples of excellence in the black world, not just in music and sports, and also to show how reggae can teach us valuable lessons,” Brother Jimmy notes.He has lost track of the number of times he has visited Jamaica, and is a regular at major music events such as Reggae Sumfest, Sting and Rebel Salute.His current reggae favourites are I-Octane, Sizzla and Bounty Killer.“I like artistes who have something to say — a positive message, fight against corrupt politics, message of love, culture and redemption. I really don’t have the time to listen to music that is really not saying anything.”Reggae music is the story of my culture.BROTHER JIMMY… reggae music is the story of my culture.

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Meet Brother Jimmy: reggae student

Hold parents accountable for student failure, Senate President says

Latest News

Friday, June 28, 2013 | 8:35 AM

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — President of the Senate Floyd Morris, says that parents must be held accountable for the poor performance of their children in school.Morris was delivering the keynote address at the 21st staging of the Montego Co-operative Credit Union Schools’ Academic Championship Quiz, held Wednesday June 26 at the Montego Bay Civic Centre in St James. According to Senator Morris, parents are not providing the necessary supervision and support of their children’s studies, in order for the country to realise the returns from the billions of dollars invested in education each year, and they should be “brought to book”.“This year alone, the Government is spending approximately $77 billion, and when you match that with what is being done by private sector companies, I am certain that the figure for education is running well over $100 billion…but, I don’t believe that we are getting the type of returns that we should be getting,” Morris said.“I believe that the necessary support systems that are supposed to be in place are not there. I am very disappointed with the sort of parental support that is being given to the education of our children. How can a parent have a child at home and that child traverse primary school and high school, graduate from both institutions, but is not able to read and write? It must be poor parental supervision that is contributing to such a situation,” the Senate President insisted.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Hold parents accountable for student failure, Senate President says