The Campus Chronicle - Volume 1 No. 1

Page 1

“ALL THE NEWS YOU NEED, THIS WEEK”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 VOL. 1/NO. 1

INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER NEWS

Love in the Capital City UWI students getup close and personal. Page 4.

OPINION

Under Construction? PM's website needs work. Page 10.

ARTS&CULTURE

SEPTEMBER START

UTT Professor's Charity Trip to Africa leadsto help for TT schools. Page 17.

Dr. Renee Williamson MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SPORTS

Richard, Dianna, Andrea and Danielle, students of the engineering and natural sciences faculties, revel in free time between classes on UWI St. Augustine campus.

Winning on Wheels

Ricky Singh vies for his fourth marathon title. Page 24.

State of emergency creating an economic crisis for campus promoters By Brennon Patterson STAFF REPORTER

Ricky Singh

Student guilds and event promoters at the nation’s university campuses have lost thousands of dollars in income because of the curfew implemented under the State of Emergency (SOE). The curfew, which starts at 11 p.m. and ends at 4 a.m., has forced

event promoters to postpone or cancel lucrative parties and social events, putting a damper on social life just as the new academic year begins. “The SOE and curfew is robbing legitimate businesses of income,” complained Ken Sambury, a former College of Sciences, Technology & Applied Arts of Trinidad

& Tobago (COSTAATT) student who runs Triple E Promotions. “We had to push back our event (Tropical Luau) out of the summer time because of the unforeseen curfew and I didn’t want to postpone it because the losses would have been too severe for our pockets.”Sambury explained. Despite rescheduling its event

to accommodate the start of the curfew, Triple E still incurred thousands of dollars in revenue losses because of ticket refunds and advertising losses. A similar sentiment was expressed by Irwin Hackshaw of Blaque Phoenix Entertainment, a promotions group at the UniPLEASE SEE

PROMOTERS / P. 3

NEWS

News

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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Students will soon have more options, less travel to take classes By Faine Richards STAFF REPORTER

Come January, students who live in east and central Trinidad and attend the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad & Tobago (COSTAATT) can take classes closer to home. COSTAATT will open a temporary centre along the Mulchan Seuchan Road in Chaguanas this January to accommodate students from neighbouring areas while construction begins on the new main campus in the borough. “It (the start of construction) is going to be pushed back a bit until after the budget. We’re planning to begin by January 2012,” the minister of science, technology and tertiary education, Fazal Karim, told the Campus Chronicle last Tuesday. “It could even begin before January,” he added. The college will break ground on 30 acres of land along the western side of the Pierre Link Road in Chaguanas, where the main campus will be relocated. Meanwhile, students living in east Trinidad can opt to enroll at a new location in Sangre Grande at the start of next year. The ministry said COSTAATT began ZMVW^I\QWV _WZS[ \W W]\Å\ \PM WTL 7I[Q[ cinema along the Eastern Main Road with classrooms. ¹+7;<))<< PI[ ÅVITQ[ML I TMI[M IOZMMment (for the building), but it will only be ready in time for the intake of students in

PROMOTERS FROM PAGE 1

versity of the West Indies, St. Augustine (UWI). He lamented, ”Transfoam2 is a victim of the system as we had to be postpone it till after the curfew and SOE is over because it is a night concept and is located in what was deemed a ‘hotspot’ area.” STS Promotions representative Miguel Edwards stressed that the SOE and curfew have created a number of new chalTMVOM[ _PQKP UILM Q\ LQNÅK]T\ NWZ his events committee to meet its bottom line. “My estimated loss is around $15,000 dollars and now I have new costs for decorations because the day events require more set up.” The promoters said the daytime event experience robs patrons of the quality of events traditionally held after dark. While promoters felt the pinch, the Guild of Students at UWI had to postpone a few of the signature events normally associated with the start of the school year. Traditional chutney and

FAZAL KARIM, Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.

January,” explained Wanti Chadee, the programme manager for the ministry’s Public Sector Investment Programme Unit.

soca fetes have been postponed, resulting in a slash in revenue usually gained from these events. Kevin Ramsewak, Vice President of the Guild, said, “We’ve decided to put these events in October and later on throughout the school year because of the idea of students living in ‘hotspot’ areas under curfew even though the University does not fall under the restriction of the curfew.” Even as promoters and student guilds scramble to organise daytime events as an alternative, students are disappointed by the limited options for recreation. “Part-time and working students usually aren’t afforded the N]TT JMVMÅ\[ TQSM LIa [\]LMV\[ \W partake in events on campus before 5 p.m., but this year was the worst as most of the late events were cancelled or postponed,” lamented part-time student, Atia Kelly. Sade Grant, a full-time Humanities and Educations student, echoed that dismay: “I aint going any day parties so this is really cutting back on my social life.” brennon@mycampuschronicle.com

The ministry said COSTAATT had already received 875 applications from new and current students hoping to take classes at the Sangre Grande campus. In the interim, COSTAATT students in east Trinidad can access part-time classes at the college’s Trincity campus and Northeastern College in Sangre Grande. Those classes will commence at the end of this month. COSTAATT students who commute long distances to the city campus are already embracing the announcement. “It’s really stressful travelling from Sangre Grande to Port of Spain every day,” 22-year-old Cassandra told the Campus Chronicle. “When I heard they were going to have a campus closer to Grande, it was a burden off my shoulders.” She said the curfew restrictions under the state of emergency have made her transportation problems even more challenging. “Even doing some of the classes in Grande would be better because Port of Spain just isn’t safe, especially travelling from there at TI\M PW]Z[ _PMV KTI[[ ÅVQ[PM[ I\ X U 4I[\ _MMS _I[ \PM ÅZ[\ _MMS WN [KPWWT IVL Ja the time we reached down the road (from class), we didn’t get any maxis to go straight to Grande, so it was a little stressful to use the small time window we had to get home before the curfew starts at 11 p.m.” But another student believes limited course offerings at the Sangre Grande campus will leave her with no choice but to make the commute to the capital city.

“I am an environmental management major and most of my courses would be offered at the city campus,” 21-year-old Alyssa said. “So the only other courses I’d be able to do at the Sangre Grande campus is core curricular things like music, art and mathematics. To an extent, then, I would still feel inconvenienced, but it’s part of the [IKZQÅKM º The ministry did acknowledge, however, that there has been a delay in the completion of the Sangre Grande centre. Earlier this year, during his feature address at the sod-turning ceremony for the new Debe campus of the University of the West Indies, the minister said COSTAAT would have “a new location to start the 2011-2012 academic year in Sangre Grande.” Even with the completion date now set for midway through the academic year, Karim insisted, “My commitment to start (the project) within this academic year will hold.” Chadee said the delay was largely due to the need for funding to be allocated for the KWV[\Z]K\QWV XZWRMK\[ ;PM KWVÅZUML \PI\ \PM J]LOM\ NWZ Å[KIT _W]TL QVKT]LM funds for the two campuses. The additional campuses are intended to allow COSTAATT to increase its enrollment in response to student demand. The KWTTMOM _PQKP KWV[Q[\[ WN Å^M KIUX][M[ QV the north, one in the south and one in Tobago, currently caters to an estimated 9,600 students. faine@mycampuschronicle.com

PARTY TIME: Around the pool, patrons at the second annual Tropical Luau, hosted by Triple E Promotions were forced to party during daylight hours. The event was originally carded to run until the wee hours of the morning but had to be curtailed because the curfew.

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER Â 19, Â 2011

STRANGE

LOVE

MARK GALLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Strangers share an embrace on the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain during the Love In Action: Hug Someone event on August 17th.

Trinis embrace international campaign, hugs from strangers By Ruth Osman STAFF REPORTER

A multiple-choice question for you: What do you do when a total stranger walks up to you and, for no apparent reason, requests a hug? (a) Give it to them; (b) bus’ a small wine; (c) politely decline; (c) run for the hills. One rain-soaked afternoon on the Brian Lara Promenade in Port-ofSpain, 10 designated huggers witnessed all of the above. The event, “Love in Action: Hug Someone,� was organised by social activist Stephanie Leitch. Leitch, a recent graduate from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (UWI), explained that the concept of handing out free hugs, though new to Trinidad, is not an original one: “Somebody sent me a YouTube video about the Free Hugs Campaign and they commented that they wished something like this could be done in T&T.� She admits that although she loved the idea, it took a while before she could fully conceptualise the event. But then she learned about the “One Love Movement,� a global campaign geared toward spreading love and inspiring acts of kindness on Marcus Garvey’s birthday, Aug. 17. The campaign’s organisers, the Bob Marley Foundation, encouraged individuals all over the world to enact the message behind Marley’s anthem, “One Love,� in commemoration of both the reggae icon and the founder of the Pan-African Movement. Aug. 17, Leitch realised, was the perfect time to hand out hugs to strangers. Some members of the public,

however, needed convincing. “They have a catch in this or what?� one passerby asked. Attempts to assure her otherwise were met with skepticism: “Something wrong,� she said, a puzzled look on her face. “We don’t do that in Trinidad.�

‘‘

By Ruth Osman STAFF REPORTER

Vidya Maraj and Aazare Eazalie are sitting quietly in the lobby of the National Academy for the Performing Arts after a morning of looking at company pamphlets and speaking to prospective employees. Both are national scholars and graduates of the University of of the West Indies, St. Augustine Chemical and Physics Engineering Programme. “I came to see the career opportunities and to hopefully apply for a job,â€? Maraj says. “Petrotrin and the Ministry of Energy were here ‌ so it was interesting. I’ll be e-mailing my application.â€? Maraj and Eazalie are among the scores of national scholars who attended the Scholarships and Advanced Training Division Career Fair recently hosted by the Ministry of Public Administration. A one-day event, the fair was aimed toward providing government scholars with opportunities for training and career development. “It’s an opportunity for them to drop their rĂŠsumĂŠs off at various employers in the public and private sectors and a chance for various employers to see the pool of people,â€? said Natasha Ramnauth, director of the ministry’s Corporate PLEASE SEE

JOB FAIR / P. 6

Movies hit the (really) big screen in Trinidad

To  come  out  of  yourself  to  offer  a  hug  to  somebody  and  to  be  rejected...It's  an  enriching  experience.â€?

By Ruth Osman STAFF REPORTER

Stephanie  Leitch UWI  graduate,  social  activist

Another onlooker asked if she had to give hugs “for free.â€? “You have to pay me for that,â€? she laughed, walking away. And then there was the man who put his arms up defensively and shouted, “You trying for me to get charge or what?â€? For Leitch, those moments of rejection were opportunities for growth: “To come out of yourself to offer a hug to somebody and to be rejected ‌ It’s an enriching experience.â€? “I don’t think it really matters,â€? she continued. “At the end of the day, we’re there to spread love. It’s what we have to do.â€? For every person who refused a hug, however, there was somebody who accepted one. Outstretched arms were greeted with blushes and shy smiles. Cheeks touched; backs were patted and people wished each other “a good day.â€? Whatever was being shared that afternoon made people feel good. So good, in fact, that once this reporter started hugging, she didn’t want to

Scholars hope to engineer career success in real world

stop. Who would have guessed that hugging was so addictive? Apparently, it’s contagious, too. Leitch says that she’s been asked to stage similar events in South Trinidad and along the East-West Corridor. “I’m not sure if I’ll do it, though. I think I’ll pass the baton, let someone else organise it,â€? she said. In the meantime, she plans to edit the footage of the event, put it over Bob Marley’s "One Love" and submit \PM Ă…VQ[PML XZWL]K\ \W \PM <ZQVQLIL and Tobago Film Festival. There is no doubt that the Love Movement will continue in one form or another. But can this reporter make a suggestion? One onlooker said, “Hug? Nah, man! I don’t give that. But I’ll take a bounce.â€? Maybe we could have a “Love in Action: Bounce Someoneâ€? sometime soon ‌ ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

How much would you pay for a cinematic experience that claims to outshine all others? The recently opened Digicel IMAX Theatre brings that question to mind. The theatre, run by Giant Screen Entertainment, boasts the largest digital screen in the Caribbean. But the screen – all 2,800 square feet of it – is just one of the special features of the stand-alone auditorium, housed in One Woodbrook Place, Port-of-Spain. Thais McGowan, marketing manager of Digicel IMAX, told The Campus Chronicle what moviegoers should expect: “It’s an immersive movie-going experience. The digital surround-sound system, the clarity of the images, the immersiveness of the 3D. It’s almost like you’re part of the movie.â€? The clarity and depth of the 3D, McGowan says, is facilitated by IMAX technology and the layout of the theatre. “We actually have two projectors, one for each eye. So the 3D is sharper, crisper and a lot more immersive ... and then there’s the geometry of the KQVMUI 1\Âź[ I [XMKQIT OMWUM\Za \W Ă…\ \PM , IVL it’s set to IMAX standards.â€? IMAX technology uses a combination of various technological innovations from production to the [PW_QVO WN I Ă…TU <PM[M QVKT]LM" [XMKQIT KIUMZI[ PLEASE SEE

IMAX / P. 6

AUGUST 7, 2011

NEWS NEWS

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6

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

JOB FAIR

FROM PAGE 4 Communications Division. She noted that national scholars who have completed their courses of study are required to work for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, and that the career fair plays an important role in helping the ministry place them in appropriate positions within the public and private sectors. This is the fourth career fair for national scholars staged by the ministry, and Ramnauth says that it’s the biggest so far: “We had 35 companies in the public and private sector. We had to turn companies away this year

‘‘

After the career fair, we're hoping that some of the scholars would be employed by some of the companies here.” Jacqui Johnson Scholarships and Advanced Training Division, Acting director

because we didn’t have space.” The response from the scholars, she said, was also encouraging: “They also seem to be very enthused. People are going out and collecting information. And they do come back to us.” Jacqui Johnson, acting director of the Scholarships and Advanced Training Division, explains how the career fair works

IMAX

FROM PAGE 4 and projectors; wide screens; and specially-designed theatres with steep inclines. All this, coupled with a specially designed IMAX screen that is slightly curved and moved closer to the audience, promises a movie experience that will draw you in. But why the wait? The project, which had been in the making for the past three years, was supposed to be completed by July 15, in time NWZ \PM ZMTMI[M WN \PM ÅVIT ¹0IZZa Potter” movie. “The project has been online for many years. But we’ve been looking for sponsors, funding and, of course, building this cinema to the correct geometry,” McGowan said. Ingrid Jahra, CEO of the theatre, IT[W KQ\ML J]QTLQVO [XMKQÅKI\QWV[ I[ the cause of the delay. “(It) ... has taken longer than hoped,” she said, “as we were careful to ensure the theatre followed IMAX’s patented geometry and

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Scholars and organization reps interface at NAPA at the career fair. The fair was organized to aid scholarships winners with job placement after graduation.

in tandem with the ministry’s Associate Professional Programme: “After the career fair, we’re hoping that some of the scholars would be employed by some of the companies here. We also have an Associate Professional Programme. So if you’re present here

high acoustic standards.” The theatre, which seats up to 364 people, is offering Hollywood blockbusters in 2D and 3D format, I[ _MTT I[ ML]KI\QWVIT ÅTU[ I[ XIZ\ of its daily schedule. Space Station 3D, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Cowboys and Aliens _MZM \PM ÅZ[\ ÅTU[ [PW_V ;PW_[ scheduled for the rest of the year include Real Steel; Puss in Boots; Mission Impossible 4; Under the Sea 3D; Born to be Wild; Avatar; Kung Fu Panda 2; and Happy Feet 2. Adults can view 2D and 3D movies for $65 and $75, respectively, while IMAX Classics in 3D cost $50. Children’s tickets to 2D, 3D and IMAX Classic movies cost $50, $60 and $40, respectively. Seniors also have special rates: $55, $65 and $45 for 2D, 3D and IMAX Classics, respectively. If you feel like indulging in a bit of luxury, you could buy reserved tickets for the leather seats that line the back of the theatre. They, of course, cost a bit more. ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

and you’re interested in one of the scholars, you let us know and we try to place them with you.” The Associate Professional Programme is an alternative system that allows scholars to work as Associate Professionals for a maximum of two years while

HOW MUCH?

Here are the regular adult prices for the Digicel IMAX Theatre.

searching for long-term employment. “In that programme,” Johnson explains, “the government would pay for the scholar’s employment with an organisation.” The Professional Development Programme, another alternative,

provides six months of training and development opportunities. This year, 503 national scholars are expected to complete their courses of study and report to the Scholarships and Advanced Training Division for placement in the public and private sectors.

$50 $65 $75 IMAX classic

2D

3D

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The audience enjoys the state-of-the-art 3-D experience at Digicel IMAX theatre at One Woodbrook Place.

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Caribbean cuisine pleases palates at Taste UWI cook off

By Faine Richards STAFF REPORTER

If the Caribbean is a callaloo of cultures, “Taste UWI” is a melting pot of the K]TQVIZa \ZILQ\QWV[ \PI\ LMÅVM +IZQJJMIV peoples. =?1 /]QTL¼[ IVV]IT KWWS WNN I Å`\]ZM on the orientation week calendar of events, helped students usher in the new school year the right way: on a full stomach. ¹1 TW^M ITT \PM NWWL º ÅVIT aMIZ [\]LMV\ Jeremy Cwan exclaimed between mouthfuls of roasted breadfruit from the Jamaican booth. “I get to taste the food from different countries without actually going to them; the food comes to me.” The event, which took place last Thursday at the UWI Quad, was part gastronomic competition, part food fair. Ten country-based student associations tried to season, stir and simmer their way \W ÅZ[\ XZQbM" XI\ZQW\QK JZIOOQVO ZQOP\[ And, for a $10 donation, salivating students could sample the fare. Ambling from booth to booth, there were unmistakable similarities among the dishes. “We just call them different names, and maybe give them a different taste, but it’s the same product,” said Bajan student JonJo Reese, who was waiting patiently in line to get a taste of home. Of course, at “Taste UWI,” the proof of the pudding is in the eating. On the menu at the Leeward Islands Student Association booth: a hefty helping of fungee, the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda. “It’s similar to what Trinis call ‘coo coo’ or people in Anguilla call ‘conchee,’” noted the association’s president, Nneka HullJames as she painstakingly drizzled a brown

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

UWI Students VANESSA GRIFFITH and KARISSA PHILLIPS sample the food and beverage selections at Taste UWI 2011 which was held at the St Augustine campus' quadrangle.

garnish sauce on a ceramic presentation plate for the judges. “Even though we’re different, the islands tend to share the same kinds of cuisine, especially in terms of the starches we use for our meals.” Jamaican students rechristened the traditional dish, rundown, as “Lightning Bolt Rundown,” capitalising on the island’s pride and joy, Usain Bolt. “We make it with coconut, we blend it and we boil down the mixture until it makes its own oil. Then we add the seasonQVO IVL \PM [IT\Å[P º M`XTIQVML ;\MXPMV Brown, vice president of the Jamaican Student Association. The recipe is reminiscent of oil down, a favourite in Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. Guyanese refer to the meal as maetem ghee . Round the corner, Bajan students helped

their peers satisfy their sweet-tooth with sugar cake. The mixture of syrupy brown sugar, coconut and almond essence was dyed in two separate batches of patriotic colours: yellow and, well, what was intended to be blue. “It looks kind of green,” admitted Barbados Student Association President Jamalia Wyllie, as she pointed to a piece of sugar cake. “It’s supposed to be more aquamarine to represent the waters of Barbados. But hey, it’ll do,” she smiled. What would a Bajan cultural exhibit be without rum? The Bajan students proudly displayed bottles of Mount Gay, “the oldest rum in the world,” as Jamalia made sure to reiterate. Bartender Chad Leeloy said rum was once so synonymous with the island that the Brit-

ish referred to it as “Barbados waters.” Farther up the island chain, the St. Lucia Students Association offered a mouth-watering combination of beef, onions and potatoes — a dish known as bouillon. But what was unique to this booth was a sprawling display of seasonings, sauces and condiments indigenous to St. Lucia. Lucians have perfected the art of processing bananas, the island’s staple produce and major export, into all possible manifestations. Bottles slim and broad, short and tall stood adorned with labels “Banana Ketchup,” “Banana Jam,” “Banana Hot Sauce” — an example of the ingenuity of Caribbean people, as were all the dishes that offered a taste of UWI. faine@mycampuschronicle.com

New institute's effort to record, save historical treasures will help Trinis “Remember When” Ruth Osman STAFF REPORTER

Every university student knows Q\ · \PM NZ][\ZI\QWV WN ZQÆQVO \PZW]OP ÅTM[ IVL JW`M[ \W ÅVL that one photograph or document that would give authenticity to a project. The Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism has embarked on a venture that promises to put those hours of searching to an end. The Remember When Institute will house artifacts from Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural and historical past. These will include audio and visual recordings, photographs and documents, some dating as far back as the 18th century. The institute, which is expected to open its doors to the public by year-end, will be located at the ministry’s headquarters on Fred-

erick Street, Port-of-Spain. Alicia Blake, head of the ministry’s Research Unit and part of the team responsible for the project, told the Campus Chronicle how students could expect to JMVMÅ\ NZWU Q\" “From a research perspective, it will be quite advantageous to those students who are researching our culture. Everything at the Remember When Institute speaks of and is about our local culture and honours our local icons.” Most of the material, she said, _W]TL JM ÅTML QV LQOQ\IT NWZUI\ but some artifacts would be available in their original condition. “We have in our possession some very rare documents and special care needs to be given to them. So we mightn’t be able to scan them, but the researcher will be able to

access them when they come to the institute.” So far, 3,000 items have been digitised. “We’re still digitising material from the old medium,” Blake said. “We’re converting items from reel-to-reel to CD … and also to DVD.” Snippets of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural history are also available on the institute’s website, which can be accessed via the Trinidad and Tobago Government Portal. According to Minister of Arts and Multiculturalismwwww Winston Peters, the site carries a number of documentaries, derived from “thousands of audiovisual material, manuscripts, photographs and recordings that could be found nowhere else in the world.”

Peters was speaking at a function that launched both the website and a two-week exhibition at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain. The exhibition, which includes live readings and performances, explores local culture and history under six categories: communities and people; music; literature; fold traditions; the evolution of steelpan; and the Tapia Movement. Besides drawing public awareness to the website and the institute, the exhibition is meant to honour the many people who have contributed to Trinidad and Tobago’s culture and to celebrate the uniqueness of our heritage. “Everything in that exhibition is from us as a people,” Blake said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to remember who we are.”

In fact, the entire Remember When project – website, exhibition and institute – is a concerted attempt to implement the articles of UNESCO’s convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage, as ZI\QÅML Ja +IJQVM\ TI[\ 5Ia 8Mters, in his speech, stated the main principles of those articles: “Their guidelines include safe-guarding our intangible cultural heritage and protecting and promoting the diversity of our cultural expressions here in Trinidad and Tobago.” The Remember When Exhibit continues at the National Academy for the Performing Arts until Sept. 24. The institute’s website is www. culture.gov.tt/rememberwheninstitute/intro.html. ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

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NEWS UTT

Campus Clubs & Organisations

Maritime: Hammerhead Dive Club Contact: shane.boodoosingh@ yahoo.com

Here is a snapshot of some of the clubs you can join on campus.

JSDTI: SSEC – Student Social Events Club These are the brains behind the successful End of Semester Series “Final Exams” and other brilliant party concepts.

Contact: Jerome Inniss, 776 0359 Valsayn: Catholic Group Come have a private moment with God in the relaxing and peaceful prayer room! Contact: Petula Tavares, 689 6121 O’MEARA: NSBE at UTT This is the local chapter for the National Society of Black Engineers.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Contact: Jenecia Braithwaite, 337 0257 SFTI: SFTI Drillers Dragon-Boaters Contact: Keston Mahabir, 719 9124 SPE: The Society of Petroleum Engineers Contact: nishka.rampersad@ gmail.com

MAAG: The Musical Arts and Appreciation Group Contact: Mahindra Ramdhan, 329 8665 Corinth: *M-LQÅML +T]J Contact: Ameera Mohammed, 355 4756/776 8829 UWI Advent Fellowship Contact: Nicole Francis nfrancis09@gmail.com AgriBusiness Society Contact: Stephen Moonsammy, abs.uwi@gmail.com Chemist in Action Contact: Krystalyn George, krysdanolee@yahoo.com Gaming and Anime Society Contact: Julian David, gasu.staugustine@gmail.com Mt. Hope Islamic Society Contact: Usamah Mohammed, usamahmohammed@hotmail.com Peer Counselors Association Contact: Tynika James, tynika_ james25@hotmail.com The Latin America Society Contact: Joanna, babyloujwjm@ hotmail.com UWI Shotokan Karate Club Contact: Dean Avril, dean36@ gmail.com TTHTI Ballroom & Latin Dance Wednesdays @ 5 p.m. on campus Board Games For those who wish to mentally challenge their brain, there are several board games available. Drama Club Any upcoming actors and actresses are welcomed to display and practice their talents. Hiking & Sightseeing Go on trips to various parts of Trinidad in an effort to really explore and experience our paradise. TTHTI Choir The TTHTI Choir performs for several of our events and is completely directed by students. Zumba Fitness ) KWUJQVI\QWV WN LIVKM Å\VM[[ and aerobics, one of the hottest and fun activities in the world today. Monday @ 5 p.m. on campus Photography Club Those who like taking photos may come and learn how to become a professional photographer. Contact Guild Secretary Kerwin Liverpool, kerwinliverpool@gmail. com Trinidad and Tobago Hotels and Restaurants Association Contact: Executive Director Lauanna Chai, lauanna@tnthotels.com

Opinion

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

A State of Emergency we really need

I

dreamt that I was the president, and the prime minister advised me to call a State of Emergency to address the state of education in the country. I proclaimed that I, Keron 3QVO IU [I\Q[ÅML \PI\ IK\QWV has been taken or is immediately threatened by persons or bodies of persons of such a nature and on so extensive a scale that it endangers public safety. However, in my dream the citizenry demanded an explanation for taking away their constitutional rights. I tried to sway them with these arguments. First, our education system is too results-oriented. Schooling is geared toward getting an “A.” In pre-school, they told us it was shooting for the stars. Now, I am not against success; I aced my share of exams. But my fear is that this results-oriented mindset can be a precursor to the “by any means necessary” mindset. The latter mindset has been argued, in a book called “Crime and the American Dream,” to be the cause of criminal activity in the United States. The authors contend that the overwhelming need to be successful, i.e., an excellent job, two cars and a beautiful house with a picket fence creates a social pressure on individuals that results in crime. I believe this mindset starts in school with excessive pressure placed on students to get A’s and little emphasis on the process of doing so. Therefore, schooling is not about learning but about achieving socially proscribed results. This results-oriented mindset endangers the public safety of our nation. Second, the content is largely inappropriate. What rationale is used to

Kerry Peters

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Faine Richards

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST

Mark Gellineau PHOTOJOURNALIST

KERON KING determine the content of our school curricula? 1¼U ÆIJJMZOI[\ML I[ \W _Pa 1 wasn’t taught - and why we still don’t teach - more courses on leadership, ethics, emotional intelligence, interpersonal and intra-personal skills, time and task management, and patriotism. I remember having a conversation with a 20-year-old who wasn’t au courant with the 1990 attempted coup, far less for Uriah Buttler, Cipriani or the 1970 Black Power Revolution. I remember thinking, “Really?” So I am constantly asking what are we teaching our children? Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not calling for the suspension of math, English and science. But those who threaten public safety don’t do so because they failed to calculate a simultaneous equation or lacked an understanding of photosynthesis. It’s more likely because their values are messed up and they cannot control their emotions, much less deal with failure. Couldn’t we commence the teaching of math and science a little later in a child’s education so we could give lessons on personal development? Therefore, as president, in my attempt to evade an onslaught on our land that is of extra-normal proportions, i.e., unethical, bad-tempered, socially irresponsible, unpatriotic students, I have no choice but to proclaim a State of Emergency. Emergency Regulations I would like it to include the

Abby Brathwaite ASSISTANT EDITOR

Favian Mookram

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Ruth Osman STAFF WRITER

following in the regulations: ¹;]KKM[[º [PW]TL UMIV" — The creation of value that JMVMÅ\[ [WKQM\a — The process of creating this value should transform both the student and the teacher, increasing the individual’s value to society. ¹<MIKPMZº Q[ [WUMWVM _PW" — Practices what s/he preaches, leads by example and is passionate about teaching, learning and students — Possesses training in teaching and has deep, practical knowledge of his/her content area — Recognises that s/he doesn’t have a monopoly on knowledge <PM +TI[[ZWWU Q[" — Anywhere that learning takes place ¸ 6W\ KWVÅVML \W NW]Z _ITT[ with desks and chairs — Fair, free of discrimination and not intimidating — Where opinions and ideas are freely expressed — Utilises modern technologies Someone then interrupted me to ask: Which schools would be considered the hot schools? How would we police these regulations? Should we build a detention center for the teachers and administrators? Should we consult the teachers’ association? What about the parents, religious organizations and civil society? Do we need their input, assistance and advice? Do we really need the State of Emergency to achieve these goals? And who should we detain, the teachers or the students? Then, suddenly, I wake up.

Published twice monthly during the academic year by Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), The Campus Chronicle is an editorially independent newspaper for tertiary students. Opinions expressed in signed columns and cartoons are those of the authors and do not VMKM[[IZQTa ZMÆMK\ \PM ^QM_[ WN the publisher. Must we tell you that all the “Heckler” stories are fake?

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9

doodle

Youth are finding their voice no matter who chooses to listen

T

he inaugural issue of the which lull us into intellectual Campus Chronicle is being inertia, or worse, numbness. published at a time when The Campus Chronicle disagrees the voice of youth remains muted vehemently with that portrayal of almost entirely by partisan chatter the nation’s youth. from people who present themWe respectfully submit that selves as leaders. what is missing is an outlet In the current state of affairs, devoted solely to amplifying the it does not escape notice that a voice of the youth, and while the movement of social consciouscampus newspaper is certainly ness, sparked by students, precipi- not a novel idea in T&T, it is a \I\ML \PM ÅZ[\ ;\I\M WN -UMZOMVKa good one. (SOE) in an indeOne of our STAFF EDITORIAL pendent Trinidad predecessors, the and Tobago. Embryo — a UWI During the 1970 Black Power student newspaper published in Revolution, the nation’s youth the early 1970s — explored and challenged socioeconomic indebated racial consciousness, equalities and demanded political national identity and regional change. integration. Forty-one years later, some of Articles and columns were our constitutional rights have written by thinkers who helped been constitutionally suspended LMÅVM \PI\ OMVMZI\QWV" ,MVVQ[ again. Pantin, Dr. Brinsley Samaroo, and The political directorate is vigor- Lennox Grant, who has a desk a W][Ta QVÆ]MVKQVO X]JTQK LQ[K][[QWV couple stories above the Campus on the need for, and handling of, Chronicle newsroom. the SOE. An exhortation contained in the Independent analysis and Embryo still rings true: “This is informed discussion are vital yet your paper.” woefully absent from the disThe Campus Chronicle is every course. student’s newspaper. And the mainstream media, 1\ Q[ IZO]IJTa \PM ÅZ[\ WN Q\[ SQVL ever-addicted to “expert” opinto focus on the youth perspective ion, has yet again overlooked the across institutional lines, unifyvoice of youth, column-inches ing young adults regardless of and airtime rife with opinions of where they are enrolled — UWI competing political actors, busior UTT, COSTAATT, SBCS or VM[[ QV\MZM[\[ IVL WNÅKQIT[ TTHTI. Is the virtual exclusion of young The tertiary campus must be the people from the national converincubator for critical thinking, desation just another manifestation bate and challenges to the status of an age-old stereotype? quo. It must. Armed with modern-day amWho better than youth to be munition, older heads may blame the vanguard of democracy and Facebook, BBM and iPods — moulders of national identity? If Kartel-ian or Kardashian opiates not us…who?

10

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

What exactly does the prime minister do? You can’t really tell online

I

don’t know if you know, but there’s a website for the OfÅKM WN <PM 8ZQUM 5QVQ[\MZ Excitement, right? All the time you read excerpts of Kamla’s press releases, or you hear about KWV\ZW^MZ[QIT Q[[]M[ TQSM \PM Å^M percent wage cap, and you wonder, “Where can I get my Kamla Å` ITT QV WVM' ?PMZM KIV 1 OW \W ÅVL W]\ _PMZM 3IUTI [\IVL[ WV important issues? Where can I see the entirety of her press statements to know if these reporters are grossly misconstruing what was said, to make her look like a []XMZÅKQIT QLQW\' ?PMZM KIV 1 OM\ a sense of the vision Kamla has for us in the future based on her ongoing experiences as the prime minister?” I don’t know why (and it’s not Kamla fault, she eh no website designer or Net-nerd), but the ÅZ[\ \PZMM _MJ[Q\M[ QN aW] /WWOTM ¹WNÅKM WN \PM XZQUM UQVQ[\MZ of trinidad and tobago” are all government links and – ha ha ha – are all dead ends. Maybe Trinis changed in the past hour or so, but last time I checked, it have few of allyuh that still looking past options one and two, but das a]P J][QVM[[ 1 ÅVL LM \QVO )VL · hoo! If you ever have 20 minutes to do nothing on the Internet, you should go check out the web version of Aunty Kam. I almost want to be her fan (which I can be

SIAN LANGE on Facebook, Flickr or Twitter – oo la la), but I work too hard for this IQ to get points taken away because my PM so shameful. The address of the site is 15stclairave.gov.tt . I think this might actually be kind of cool. Kam’s moving undercover lil bit – if yuh doh know where she wukkin, a]P KaIP ÅVL [PM WVTQVM ;KMVM Except daiz a kinda messed up M.O. for a PM, in my opinion. But I hatin’ and I know dat, so lewwe done dat talk right there, it have plenty more goin’ on on dis site. (Thursday, 18 Aug. 2011) – ?PI\ [\ZQSM UM ÅZ[\ Q[ \PM JIVner on top with the four main stories for this page: Kamla at the renaming of Tobago airport, Kamla at the opening of a Technology Centre, Kamla at UNC Interfaith Ceremony and Kamla at the launch of the Sugar Heritage Village and Museum. This lady fuh real? I mean, I don’t doubt she opening and welcoming real ting in Trinidad, but come na man, dais all yuh does do? People want to be telling

me you are the symbol of a new dawn for the Caribbean woman – strong, intellectual, capable IVL [MTÆM[[Ta KWVKMZVML IJW]\ the betterment of a people – you have to do more than read patronizing speeches and cut ribbon, lady! I would have loved to see “Kamla discusses property tax and potential ideas for the future” or “Kamla learns more about MKWVWUQK Q[[]M[ IVL \PM SMa ÆI_[ and strengths of T&T and her people” or “Kamla does something that looks like she knows the job of a Prime Minister is more than looking nice and reading speeches that never sound like she did more than rehearse them.” Wow. I just paused here to check out Kamla’s tweets and – wow! I think the only time I ever saw a more disturbing collection of nonsensically thrown together phrases in a sad attempt to impress an audience was Miss South Carolina in Miss Teen USA 2007. Remember her? “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in a South Africa and Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the US should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and

the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.” (It still cracks me up every time!) Anyway, back to the PM’s website, which has a “Blog” tab and a “News & Releases” tab – they are next to each other on the homepage, but they are both the same. The same, the same. Word for word, post for post. Really? I mean, seriously? I might have preferred if one of them had nothing. I tell myself Kamla have to – have to! – be posting on her blog about the mutant dengue, maybe two paragraphs on crime generally or the murder toll, maybe just taking a moment here or there to tell us about something interesting she read or she do or she had an idea about, you know, dem ting yuh does do on a blog like give your followers some information and perspective. At this point, I starting to understand why it is not general public knowledge that she has this website. We all need to be immensely thankful it is not general international knowledge that she has this website. Even at the bottom of the homepage, it begins to transition from comic tragedy to utter disappointment; under the heading “News and Releases,” you can only click on “Speeches.” You cannot click on “Press Releases,” “Current News,” “Disclosures”

or “Nominations.” But she has 65 pages of photo albums for your viewing pleasure … and only 26 pages of news and releases. Well, maybe the theory they are going with is “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Sadly enough, I prefer looking at her anyway; it is less disturbing. I want to go on to talk about her YouTube channel, but my heart hurts too much now. Just go and look at it; the username for it is 15stclairave. ?PMV 1 ÅZ[\ [I_ \PQ[ _MJ[Q\M I found it heartening: her being 21st-century chic, reaching out in real ways to my generation; that’s not what this is. She’s patronizing us like the mewling sheep we constantly prove ourselves to be. It is not her fault completely; we put her in power, it is half our fault. What is her fault is doing crap with the opportunity we gave her. The whole country is turning into sewage, and from the prime minister on down, we more concerned with looking good in photos. sianniwanni@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: A month after Sian Lange made her observations, the Web site’s account - like some of our constitutional rights - was suspended. Up to press time the status of the website and the State of Emergency remained unchanged.

11

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

permanent head damage

Crime writers hope to make a killing in Trinidad

D

on’t judge me. My favourite type of novel is the crime novel. I know I’m doing a Ph.D. in English and Applied Linguistics, so I should have more sophisticated reading tastes, and I admit I enjoy D.H. Lawrence and Earl Lovelace with the requisite admiration of a wouldbe scholar. But Agatha Christie is hands-down my favourite author. John Grisham is good, too. Stieg Larson’s “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series: amazing. These days, I’m on Jo Nesbo and the fascinating world of Harry Hole. It gets me thinking: Why aren’t there more Trinibagonian crime novels? (Now, before you jump down my throat and say, “Wham to she boy she eh read Ty Batson book?” Well, no I haven’t, not yet. I went to Nigel Khan and was put off by the print version,

GUYANNE WILSON

but, having read excellent reviews on Facebook, I have purchased it on my Kindle and will read it before the end of September). Mr. Big aside, why aren’t there more Trini crime novels? It’s not to say there’s a lack of stimulus. In fact, rumour has it that people from law-abiding countries come to Trinidad to get inspiration for crime novels. They spend a weekend in *insert-seaside-community-here* and they learn everything there is to know about the smuggling of drugs and weapons from South America to the rest of the world.

Once the weekend is over, they move on to *insert-economicallydepressed-community-here* where they learn the ways of gang warfare and the importance of territorialism and loyalty in the gang. They may meet some of their weekend sea-faring friends there, too, in which case they learn more about the distribution of drugs and weapons. After a few hours, they are likely to witness a murder, though if the weather is particularly balmy, they may witness two, and they get to live through the excitement of a police raid, police brutality, police “investigation” and, of course, police bribery. Afterward, they head to *insertposh-area-here*. There, they enter the world of white collar (white people?) crime. They see how cloth is spun from cocaine, and learn how a shoe store can

continue to operate with vast XZWÅ\ UIZOQV[ IT\PW]OP M^MZathing in it is 75 percent off. They learn how to protect children from kidnapping, or how to negotiate a ransom. ?PMV \PMa¼ZM ÅVQ[PML \PMZM they journey toward the centre of the country, where they locate the nearest grammoxone salesman who, gladdened by the size of the purchase, does not care that the buyer is not a gardener and so does not require such gross quantities of the drug unless he is planning to kill his wife, three children and himself, which of course he is. Tired of Trinidad, budding KZQUM ÅK\QWV I]\PWZ[ UW^M W^MZ to the idyllic sister isle, where, in true Agatha Christie fashion, tourists are mauled to death in the comfort of their sea-view villas.

Replete with ideas for bestselling novels, these foreigners leave our shores, and the next we hear of them is when we go to Readers Bookshop and ask Chris what’s new, and he points us to their tale. Something needs to be done to KWV\ZWT \PM ÆW_ WN KZQUM ÅK\QWV out of the country. Perhaps it would be wise for the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago to copyright all the content of the local newspapers, radio and television stations. Local authors should then be encouraged to develop these plots, which should be published by local publishers. This would surely give the economy a welcome boost. Until then, I continue to read ;KIVLQVI^QIV KZQUM ÅK\QWV guyannewilson@gmail.com

Failure to reform our political system is the real emergency

H

aving a limited state of emergency is like being a little pregnant. So the police will only shoot you once and not empty the magazine? More particularly, if you are of a certain economic background, skin colour or live in the wrong neighourhood. Now we seem to be swerving close to race. And really and truly the so-called “race’ question is, in our context, unavoidable. *]\ Q\ Q[ IT[W I \MZU Æ]VO IZW]VL the place here to augment the noise, static bacchanal and general kankalaaa that seems to be the Trinidadian’s natural element (and I deliberately leave Tobago out of this). So let’s instead talk black and white. Not race — power. Now, of course in our Caribbean context, power is all about violence: genocide, slavery, indentureship. The subjugation of oppressed peoples. And what we euphemistically call “independence” is merely a consolidation of this colonial power relation, the skin colour and hair quality of the new overseers notwithstanding. But let us now juxtapose this with the great deal of formal discourse opposing the state

BURTON SANKERALLI of emergency. Ye old liberal democracy crap. The talk of human rights. The errors of the European “Enlightenment” and Q\[ ÅK\Q\QW][ ¹QVLQ^QL]IT º Now, don’t get me wrong, this human rights talk can be very useful. And Trinidadians make great use of it when it comes not to liberty, equality and fraternity, but to fete, lime and carnival. Human rights, indeed. And no government will take God out of its mind and cancel carnival … crisis, murders, states of emergencies be damned. The real state of emergency in our region began with Columbus and our present police force is merely picking up the slack where the plantation left off. Terrorizing the population is the work of the police (and I say this _Q\P ITT L]M ZM[XMK\ \W \PM [QOVQÅcant number of policemen who actually manage to be decent human beings). At least now there is a measure of media scrutiny, and

we hope this continues after the state of emergency is lifted. As for the modern Western discourse of liberal democracy and civilized capitalism, well, this is proving to be a failure even in the societies for whom it was designed. The economies of America and Europe are in crisis, and as for England, well, let’s just say that Guy Fawkes Day came a little early this year. We in the colonies witness the farce of history repeating itself as democracy is used to mask the oppression of poor people. So what are we left with? Well, if we look at the public reaction to the state of emergency, it is, or at least was, quite favourable. And this tends to KWVÅZU \PM [][XQKQWV \PI\ W]Z people are only committed to this democracy nonsense when it suits \PMU *]\ TM\ ][ VW\ ÆQVKP NZWU the implications of this. Given the rising tide of public fear and overt physical violence in society, the regime makes a strong case. Put starkly and bluntly in the absence of a credible alternative, we must either be immersed in chaos or be prepared to embrace a moderate fascism. So the words of our very own prophet CLR James have come

to pass: It is socialism or barbarism (of one kind or the other). We must make a commitment to a truly just society in which we dismantle the inherent class warfare and violence that constitutes the core of our Caribbean reality. And this is all that socialism means. But to make such a commitment is easy enough. What does this mean on the ground? Permit me to make just one initial proposal. ?PQTM \PM ÅK\QWV \PI\ Q[ \PM QVdividual and its inalienable rights has been adequately exposed by contemporary Western philosophy itself (so much so that I need not even argue it here), we in the activist movement have been arguing for “community rights.” Now, this very notion of a “right” is indeed, philosophically speaking, ontologically vacuous, but it can and does here articulate a communal ethos of our people that continues to survive centuries of violence, oppression and 21st-century globalization. Interestingly enough, the present regime got elected on such a platform, even trotting out the “Chief Servant,” Makandal Daaga, as some kind of guarantee of the genuineness of its

commitment. But sad to say, this is precisely the kind of radical promise that politicians have no intention of keeping unless they are compelled by the masses to do so. Yet here is the real democracy — direct democracy — government by the people themselves, rooted in their communal ethos. Toward this, I further make one practical proposal that I think we can all agree on: that we bring pressure to bear for a serious, sustained, countrywide, communitygrounded discussion on constitutional reform. Whether this will achieve the desired result is, at least in the short term, doubtful, but this very process, I think, could carry us to a better space. Or will we just continue crashing into myriad states of emergency? bsankeralli@yahoo.com

Burton Sankeralli is a member of the Rights Action Group (RAG) and a founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Philosophical Society. He has written and published three books – Of Obeah and Modernity, The RAG File and Night Without End – that are available in bookstores He also has no outstanding warrants WZ \ZINÅK \QKSM\[

Heckler

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

13

We haven’t been sued yet, but this is just our first edition Chronicle hopeful it will piss off politicians, become real newspaper By Staff Reporter Editors at the Campus Chronicle — the new newspaper targeting tertiary students — are hoping they will raise the ire of politicians and become a real newspaper like the Trinidad Express. “Unless you’re threatened or sued, nobody takes you seriously. That’s what we want for the paper, and we recognise it will take hard work to get there,” said senior editor Abby Brathwaite, who was constantly picking lint off a brown, double-breasted jacket she said was the only one she could use for a court appearance. At just 20,000 copies circulated to major tertiary campuses around the country, Brathwaite said Chronicle reporters — a bunch of 20-somethings and early 30-somethings with no hope of ever joining the country’s middle class — had to write every story “as if God was editing this shit.” The country’s three dailies KWVÅZUML \PMa OM\ P]VLZML[ WN litigation letters each year, (one reported a sharp decline since May 24, 2010) which are kept off-site

The most respected media house in T&T stands tall, proud of the litany of lawsuits that made the Trinidad Express a credible newspaper. The Campus Chronicle, located on the ground floor, hopes an onslaught of litigation will elevate its newsroom to the second floor.

so their corporate secretaries can “do some real work for a change,” said one source. Brathwaite thinks the Chronicle has its work cut out. “A limited-circulation paper like

ours just has to do more to get those pre-action letters,” she said. Kerry Peters, the paper’s editor and chief diaper-changer said [XMKQÅK XTIV[ NWZ OM\\QVO MUbroiled in legal battles with politi-

KQIV[ _MZM [\QTT JMQVO ÅVITQ[ML “We’re deeply committed to making friends with the other fellas in the dock at the Magistrate’s Court. Maybe they will let ][ PI^M \PM J]KSM\ ÅZ[\ I[ _M¼ZM

new. It will come down to how well we tell the truth. Maybe we can get the formula right from \PM ÅZ[\ MLQ\QWV IVL \ISM Q\ NZWU there, but, yes, forty-one people is exciting stuff.”

Road-paving Warner believes legendary fountain of youth under Pitch Lake By Staff Reporter Leaked documents have revealed that Works Minister Jack Warner believes the Fountain of Youth is located under the pitch lake in La Brea, which might explain his excessive road paving campaign. A well-placed source has said that Mr. Warner has become WJ[M[[ML _Q\P ÅVLQVO W]\ IVL that he plans to dig up the whole thing to get to the bottom of it, even if it means he has to “pave the roads until we all live underground.” Warner is said to have ÅZ[\ \PMWZQbML IJW]\ \PM M`Q[\MVKM of the Fountain of Youth when he was watching television and saw protesters in La Brea burning debris in the streets because of the poor quality of their roads. “Mr. Warner burst into the ofÅKM IVL [IQL \PI\ PM [I_ I _WUIV on TV last night protesting the

Works Minister JACK WARNER vows to empty the Pitch Lake by the end of his five-year term.

state of the roads. He said that that same woman was protesting about that same road during his childhood, during his adolescence,

and now well into his adulthood. He said while he got older, and the road got worse, she hadn’t aged a day,” the source said.

He also reportedly attributed his theory to the voting patterns of the people of that area, saying that clearly you couldn’t teach 200-year-old dogs new tricks, and that’s why they kept voting for the PNM. But Warner’s beliefs may not be completely unfounded. =VKWVÅZUML ZMXWZ\[ [\I\M \PI\ I “precious metal” was found while digging. This metal was said to be the source of the millions of dollars in funding for the road works projects which materialise at a moment’s notice. But while the opposition is livid over what they call wasted tax dollars, members of the public are in support of the works minister. “My Warner is the best, most hard-working minister this country ever had. If he says it’s there, PM¼TT ÅVL Q\ )VL _PMV PM LWM[ Q\

will be the best thing to ever happen to this country, because then he’ll be a minister forever,” said Steve John. “I think he should ask Ian )TTMaVM \W PMTX PQU ÅVL \PM NW]V\IQV <PI\ UIV KW]TL ÅVL anything, boy. And we need those two to live forever in Trinidad,” said John. ?IZVMZ PI[ VMQ\PMZ KWVÅZUML nor denied the reports. In a telephone interview, Warner laughed at the idea but said that anything is possible. He said, “Look at it this way: If _M ÅVL Q\ aW]Z ZWIL[ OM\ XI^ML 1N _M LWV¼\ ÅVL Q\ aW]Z ZWIL[ OM\ paved. But I don’t start anything I KIV¼\ ÅVQ[P *M[QLM[ ;MXX *TI\\MZ told me I’d never return to FIFA in a million years. Well, I’ll still be around then, so we’ll see who has the last laugh.”

14

HECKLER

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Curfew keeps Gabby out of Miss Universe top 10 By Staff Reporter Reigning Miss Trinidad & Tobago and former Ms. Universe hopeful Gabrielle Walcott, was forced to exit the pageant early in order to make it home before the 11 p.m. curfew deadline. Sources close to the T&T camp said that while Walcott would have liked to continue, they decided to err on the side of caution given the current state of affairs in the country. “We had to be practical,” one spokesman said. “She is, after all, coming from a long way and the last thing we wanted is for her to get stuck in a road block or stopped by the members of the security services en route to her hotspot in West Moorings.” When asked why a curfew pass could not have been issued for Walcott, the spokesman explained that it was downright pointless. “Honestly, after that video about ‘what animal she’d like to be,’ we just figured it didn’t make sense anyhow.” Some of Walcott’s friends, including Ms. America, also had to leave the pageant early, not for reasons of national security but simply because they woke up and realized, “Like, oh my Gah, this is stupid.” Though disappointed, the former Ms. T&T World and reigning Ms. T&T Universe said she is happy for Ms. Angola’s win. “We laughed and hugged and ooh! Then we said ‘one is one’ and we both started laughing. It was great.” Walcott is said to be moving forward with her life and has plans of completing the string of near-misses by entering the Ms. Galaxy Pageant alongside life forms from other planets. Miss Trinidad & Tobago GABRIELLE WALCOTT strikes a five-second pose in the Miss Universe pageant before rushing offstage to catch a 9:30pm flight .

World flattered by T&T's mimicry Fifty years later, town of St. Augustine regrets UWI land deal By Staff Reporter U.N. Secretary General Ban Kimoon has hailed Trinidad’s follow fashion mentality as both inspiring IVL ÆI\\MZQVO [IaQVO \PM KWV[\IV\ imitation policies and procedures are signs of a truly progressive society. Speaking at an intimate dinner in his honor, the U.N. Secretary General sent summer greetings to the twin island republic. He also said that while most countries had \W ÅOP\ \W IKPQM^M IVL ZM\IQV \PMQZ sense of identity, Trinidad was clearly a cut above most as it continued to merely recycle the works of other cultures instead of the mucky back-and-forth associated

with originality. “This allows them to focus on what truly matters – carnival,” he said, citing the fact that NAPA – the National Academy for Performing Arts – looks like the Sydney Opera House, or that the nation suddenly has “summer” sales and promotions as XZWWN WN \PQ[ ÆI\\MZa ¹-^MV \PMQZ own brothers, the Jamaicans, that culture seems to be predominant culture of Trinidad. It’s quite an accomplishment.” He further went on to state that had other so-called First World nations followed suit, the world would have been less of a war-torn place.

By Staff Reporter An 84-year-old St. Augustine resident, Matthew Martinez, said at a recent town meeting that some 50 years later, the town still languishes over the creation of the “educational hub” known as the University of the West Indies. “We should’ve built a racetrack! That would’ve been more profitable,” he commented, earning himself a rousing applause. Martinez explained that for 50 years, the residents of St. Augustine have had to endure the smug sensibilities of the so-called intellectual elite, who

seemed to be more concerned with regurgitating old philosophies rather than creating their own. “The very credo is a joke! ‘A light rising from the west’? We live in East Trinidad!” Grandmother of two Marlene Burke, another resident of St. Augustine, commented on the growing scourge of seemingly dispossessed (and often disheveled) poets, whose numbers are now reaching epidemic proportions, in no small part because of the university’s presence. “I honestly thought that, you know, this place was meant for higher learning,

not for talking ’bout how your lover’s breasts remind you of ripe mangoes bathing in the Caribbean sunlight. No, not here! Not in St. Augustine!” The lone voice of dissent came from a student of the university’s engineering department who, after giving a relatively impassioned rebuttal, exclaimed that at the very least, the university should be applauded for continuing in Einstein’s theories, including his theory of madness: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

IT'S ALL YOU THINK ABOUT

s e x, s e x, a n d m o r e s e x The Campus Chronicle is looking for a sex columnist. If you are interested in the position shoot an email to editor@mycampusc hronicle.com

Arts&Culture A LION'S ROAR SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

NEWS

15

By Faine Richards

“

STAFF REPORTER

I like to mislead people. If you’re a Rasta, they think you’re delinquent.” With a mischievous glint in his eye, Kurtly Ravello hatches a plan for the four strands of hair poking out of the right side of his chin. He wants to grow a beard, a feat unattainable in his 22 years of existence. Bushy whiskers would complement the mane of dreadlocks that falls four inches below his shoulders, solidifying his appearance as a “Rastafarian.” “You know, they see you with a ras and some people might think you’re uneducated,” muses the Spanish major who graduates from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (UWI) next month. “Nowadays (with the state of emergency in effect), they might think you’re a criminal, especially if you have a ras and three-quarter pants.” For the moment, he remains clean-shaven by default. His baby face, framed by frizzy hair, only serves to augment his boyish appearance. Those features make his soubriquet, “Simba Amani,” an IX\ Å\ NWZ \PQ[ aW]VO UIV _PW Q[ X]Z[]QVO I U][QK KIZMMZ During a trip to Tanzania in 2005, the locals called him “Simba,” which means “lion” in Swahili. “I’m not a violent person as a lion might seem,” the Rio Claro native is quick to explain. “But I really stand for something. 1¼U I XMZ[WV _PW Q[ ÅZU QV Ua JMTQMN[ 1¼U \Z]M \W Ua[MTN ;W »;QUJI¼ Q[ I ZMÆMK\QWV WN Ua XMZ[WVITQ\a º He later added “Amani,” the Swahili word for “peace,” to complete his stage name. It’s the only label he readily accepts, resisting even the classiÅKI\QWV WN ¹ZMOOIM IZ\Q[\M º “I mean, reggae is the genre I love most, but I would rather not be called a reggae artiste – just an artiste in general,” the singer/songwriter explains. “Because art is something so KZMI\Q^M aW] LWV¼\ ZMITTa _IV\ \W JM KWVÅVML \W WVM IZ\ º :I^MTTW XZMNMZ[ \W \PQVS WN PQU[MTN I[ I XWM\ I Å\\QVO description of the lanky young man who now sits before me – dressed in all black – on the Learning Resource Centre greens at UWI. But the mellow rhythms of his music, the crooning of his voice, undeniably place him in the genre of reggae. One of his more popular tracks, “Meant to Be” – a duet with female artiste Dee Dee – is a lovers’ rock. Even in his debut single, “Hello,” his ad libs are reminiscent of Jah Cure. In “All I Need,” an ode to a woman he loves, the melodic meandering of his voice in the chorus brings to mind the sound of Sizzla Kalonji. These are a few of the songs which, particularly through his involvement with “UWI Speak,” cultivated Ravello’s growing NWTTW_QVO *]\ _PMV 1 ][M \PM \MZU ¹NIV[ º PM OM\[ ÅLOM\a “I just not ready to call them fans as yet because the relationship I have with most of my supporters is very intimate,” Ravello explains. “Now that things really getting different, in a bigger way, I have to watch how I talk to people. I tend to sometimes let out too much of myself, and you know most times when people do that, you might get hurt. I’ve been there before.” That disappointment spawned watchwords of advice in his song “Best Friend”:

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Singer/Songwriter KURTLY RAVELLO, aka Simba, poses for our cameras at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies.

Let Jah be your best friend/He would never leave you begging bread/ or leave you forsaken. A black ceramic ring emblazoned with Rasta colours and the Lion of Judah is a testament to his spirituality. He touches it as he recalls why he’s had to rely on his relationship with Jah over the years. “You know as a young artiste when you’re coming up, you’re in for a lot of deception, a lot of bullshitting. Because people talk about ‘support local,’ and most of the time they are the ones who screw you over, these guys who have studios and stuff … guys who you feel on your team. That’s where ‘Best Friend’ came from.” A different piece of jewelry speaks to the other major QVÆ]MVKM WV PQ[ U][QK" TW^M ) \PQV OWTL KPIQV PIVO[ TWW[MTa around his neck. From it dangles a pendant with the word “Love,” complete with a heart-shaped ‘O.’ Ravello’s most recent single, “Hold My Peace,” the video for which is on rotation on Synergy, tells of a man watchQVO PQ[ NWZUMZ ÆIUM M`KPIVOM ^W_[ _Q\P IVW\PMZ UIV 0M

used his own experience of love lost to write a ballad for the broken-hearted. “It’s easy to write a song … it’s easy to put together words that rhyme. But with me, it really needs to say my story or say somebody’s story. Success for me would be being able to touch people through my music.” And that’s exactly what Ravello plans to devote his time to, VW_ \PI\ PM¼[ ÅVQ[PML PQ[ LMOZMM =VLMZ \PM UIVIOMUMV\ WN Schizophrenic Entertainment, he hopes to record an album by the end of the year. “A lot of music isn’t about the message anymore, and I want my music to have a message. Music that isn’t just shit, not ‘shake that laffy taffy’ and that shit,” he says, shaking his head. “Real music.” faine@mycampuschronicle.com

For more on Simba Amani, check out www.facebook.com/Simba. Amani

16

ARTS & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Filmmaker’s passion bears fruit in 'Pashan of the Froot' By Staff Reporter Sometimes, following your passion involves taking risks. Ask Nadissa Haynes, who quit the corporate life to become a ÅTUUISMZ “I quit my job after working for almost 10 years because of the fact that I love ÅTU º 0IaVM[ \WTL \PM Campus Chronicle. “I was just really depressed about working so long and having this passion NWZ ÅTU ° [W 1 LMKQLML \W \ISM I \PZMM month vacation and go to the New York academy to see if I have a skill.” 0MZ ^Q[Q\ KWVÅZUML _PI\ [PM ITZMILa knew. “I loved it! So I came back, worked for almost a year and enrolled in \PQ[ ÅTU XZWOZIUUM º Haynes is referring to UWI’s B.A. in Film, a three-year programme offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Education. “Now I’m brokes,” she laughed, “and 1¼U QV Ua ÅVIT aMIZ º

¹*ZWSM[º WZ VW\ 0IaVM[ M`]LM[ KWVÅdence, the sort that comes from knowing that you are exactly where you want to be. If she ever had doubts, recent developments put those doubts to rest.

8I[PIV WN \PM .ZWW\ I [PWZ\ ÅTU directed by Haynes, will be opening this year’s Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival on Sept. 21. Haynes, who claims that she wasn’t expecting it, explained how it all happened: ¹)\ \PM MVL WN M^MZa aMIZ _M ÅTU [\]dents) do a documentary and we have this big screening for the panel of lecturMZ[ ;KW]\[ NZWU \PM ÅTU NM[\Q^IT _MZM there … They contacted me and said \PMa _IV\ \W X]\ Q\ QV \PM ÅTU NM[\Q^IT º "Pashan of the Froot", she said, is about a Trini-born reggae singer who goes by the name Pashan Froot. “It’s really a comedy making fun of reggae artists in Trinidad and Tobago who have

this Jamaican accent,” she said, adding hastily, “It just pokes fun at them … it’s not insulting.” Even though she admits that her placeUMV\ QV \PM ÅTU NM[\Q^IT Q[ \PM JQOOM[\ JZMIS\PZW]OP [PM PI[ PIL I[ I ÅTUmaker, Haynes insists on maintaining a strong grip on reality. “It’s not a big deal,” she laughs. “It’s just a short.” ;PM PWXM[ \PW]OP \PI\ \PM ÅTU festival will open up new opportunities. “I plan on marketing 'Pashan Froot', according to the response. And I plan on MV\MZQVO Q\ QV W\PMZ ÅTU NM[\Q^IT[ º She also hopes to do a "Pashan Froot ¹1¼U OWQVO WV I ÅTU M`KPIVOM \W -VOTIVL NWZ Ua ÅVIT aMIZ )VL \PM IKtor (who plays Pashan Froot) has always wanted to backpack through Europe. So we’re going to make Pashan takes Europe.” ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

NADISSA HAYNES, a UWI student in film. Haynes' documentary will debut at the upcoming Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival.

LET'S TALK ABOUT

sex

The Campus Chronicle is looking for a sex columnist. If you are interested in the position shoot an email to editor@mycampusc hronicle.com

17

ARTS & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Simple request writes new chapter for educational opportunities By Staff Reporter It’s been a very busy August vacation for Dr. Rene Williamson. So busy that he catches himself snoozing during lulls in conversation. “Das a power nap, man,” he says, stroking his beard when we nudge him awake to answer a few questions. Williamson, Jamaican by birth, moved to Trinidad in 2008 to head UTT’s Biomedical Engineering Programme. But while that in itself merits an interview, we’re here at the National Academy of the Performing Arts to talk about the crowd of children gathered in the chilly auditorium, listening to a percussionist beat out rhythms on a djembe. Williamson, you see, is also cofounder of Shashamane Sunrise, I VWVXZWÅ\ WZOIVQbI\QWV \PI\ supports children’s education in developing nations. This week-long camp, organised by Shashamane, offers careerbased activities and workshops to primary school students from rural and disadvantaged communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago. In its second year, the camp is providing more than 100 young participants with the opportunity to meet professionals NZWU I ^IZQM\a WN ÅMTL[ QVKT]LQVO the performing and visual arts, sports and science. Williamson talked to Campus Chronicle about the Shashamane Sunrise’s beginnings: “Shashamane started in 2005, on an important visit to Ethiopia. I met Ras Markos (co-founder and vice president of Shashamane) while travelling there … and we took a trip to Shashamane. There, we met a youth by the name of Sam, and he gave us this unusual request: He asked for a pencil.” “We were kinda shocked,” Markos added. “We were used to people asking for money, shoes, even food … but nobody ever asked us for a pencil before.” They visited the boy’s school, the Jamaican Rastafari Development Community, and realised that simple educational tools such as stationery were in short supply. Touched by the students’ desire \W TMIZV LM[XQ\M \PMQZ LQNÅK]T\ KQZ-

cumstances, the visitors promised to return. “We went back in October of the same year with four suitcases full of school supplies, and that was the beginning.” Since then, the New York-based organisation has expanded its network to include schools in Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Jamaica, Uganda, and Trinidad and Tobago. “We serve about 4,400 students from 11 schools in Africa and the Caribbean,” says Markos, “and it’s growing.” The Trinidad chapter, the most recent addition to the family, like the organisation itself was born out of a visit to a rural community. Williamson explains: “When I come to a country, I try to immerse myself in the culture. So we went to watch turtles, and we ended up in Fishing Pond, Salybia, where we learnt about a school that needed some help.” The Salybia Government Primary School, Williamson learned, had similar needs as the schools that received assistance from Shashamane in Africa , Jamaica and Haiti. “I spoke to the folks at Shashamane UK and said, ‘Look, we have a couple of schools in Trinidad. Can we bring Trinidad into the fold?’” And the process began: “We asked them to submit a proposal … telling us their goals, the school’s geography and makeup, and the needs that they have.” 1\ _I[ \PMV I UI\\MZ WN Å\\QVO \PM [KPWWT¼[ [XMKQÅK VMML[ \W \PM services provided by Shashamane: school lunch programmes, teacher training and salaries, and school and classroom supplies. Soon, Shashamane TT was providing assistance to schools in Carapo, Talparo and Roxborough, Tobago. Williamson notes that although there are similarities with other developing countries, Trinidad and Tobago does have some [XMKQÅK VMML[" “The thing about Trinidad is that the infrastructural and health and nutritional needs are met. Here , we wanted to focus on motivation. We want to show

MARK GELLINEAU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Performers Muhammad Muwakil and Lou Lyons entertain attendees at a charity event in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain, coordinated by the Shashamane Sunrise Foundation.

MARK GELLINEAU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Rene Williamson addresses guests of an event hosted by the Shashamane T&T Benefit and Auction on August 21.

children who they can be … the careers they could have with the proper education.” He should know. Born to working-class parents in the ’70s, he grew up in inner-city Kingston, just a few miles away from Trenchtown, the home of Bob Marley. “For me, education was really a path towards a better life,” he [Ia[ ¹?M UILM I TW\ WN [IKZQÅKM[ I remember putting cardboard at the bottom of our shoes to plug the holes so water wouldn’t get in if you stepped in a puddle.” When his mother moved to England, his hard work at Kingston College in Jamaica paid off: “I went to Wembley, London for A’Levels and then I went to Cambridge … I got a degree in chemi-

cal engineering and a master’s in chemical engineering.” The promising young academic then went to Yale, where he acquired a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. Williamson laughs when he remembers those days: “I was bright, but I had a lot to learn socially. Cambridge and Yale was like a whole new world … I’m a recovering nerd.” Nerd or not, his academic qualiÅKI\QWV[ IVL \PM ZMTI\QWV[PQX[ \PI\ he has forged over the years enable him to draw on the expertise WN PQ[ XMMZ[ NWZ [XMKQÅK XZWRMK\[ relating to Shashamane. He hopes that one such project, Shashamane Principal, will revolutionise the way schools receive aid:

“We’re inviting professionals and high-performing students from the best universities to spend a year with one of our schools. And during that year, we want them to help that school become the best school in that region, become a model school.” But there are other ways to help. Shashamane Sunrise receives donations through its website, shashamanesunrise.org. “It doesn’t take much,” Markos says. “About $80US can send a child to school for the whole year in some parts of the world. That’s the cost of a dinner, a pair of jeans … things that we take for granted.” And he pauses: “Think of Sam. Think of that pencil.” ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

18

By Ruth Osman

A

STAFF REPORTER

weh, aweh Weyah, weyah, weyah … +PQTLZMV¼[ ^WQKM[ ÅTT \PM chilly auditorium, carried by the steady, rhythmic beating of a djembe drum. The drummer, Sheena Richardson, is a 19-year-old percussion student at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. This morning, she is conducting a drumming workshop as part of a children’s camp at the National Academy of Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain. Sheena moves from the drum set to the congas, her hands a blur of movement and sound as she shows her young audience, which has gathered in close, the beats and techniques associated with each instrument. She picks up a pair of maracas from a table laden with percussion instruments: “Anybody know what these are? You hear these around parang time.” Intent on the shickety-shack of the maracas, she raises her head and laughs with surprise at the children’s enthusiastic response. 4I\MZ QV I U][QK ZWWU ÅTTML with marimbas, timpani and other exotic-looking instruments, she told the Campus Chronicle: “We aren’t usually allowed to bring

ARTS & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

THE RHYTHM OF HER LIFE

instruments out of this room. But they trust me.” ;PMMVI Q[ KWUXTM\QVO PMZ ÅZ[\ year in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts (BFA), a degree programme offered by the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Academy of the Performing Arts (APA). The programme, which started in January, offers specialisation in Music, Dance, Acting, and Theatre Design and Production. Students can also enroll in the Artist Diploma in Music, with emphasis on Western Classical music. Although all BFA students take introductory courses in music, theatre and dance, Sheena’s primary interest is percussion. She studies Principal Applied Lessons in Percussion and Percussion Ensemble under Associate Professor Deborah Sunya Moore Kushmaul and Senior Artist in Residence Brian Kushmaul. Under their guidance, she plays the marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, snare drum, timpani and drum set, as well as smaller instruments such as the tambourine, triangle, castagnets and claves. Associate Professor Kushmaul explained how the programme combines theory and practice: “Theory is covered in classes such as Music Theory and Ear Training, while the Principal Ap-

plied Lessons in Percussion and Percussion Ensemble class allow students to apply the theory that they are learning.” Kushmaul believes that this emphasis on performance, coupled with music literacy, places APA students in a competitive position. Many of them, in fact, are already professional musicians, working in local bands and organisations such as the Police Band and Divine Echoes. “Their time within the programme is a means of honing their knowledge and ability in their instrumental or vocal area and in music literacy,” she said. She pointed out that although Sheena initially lacked the required skills in music literacy, she was accepted into the programme because of her “phenomenal djembe skills and positive attitude.” She has, since then, developed an aptitude for music theory. “She is reading music on snare drum, drum set and mallet instruments,” Kushmaul said. “She has performed a marimba solo and also a duet with a fellow student, Alkhansa Ward. And we are all extremely proud of her hard work.” For Sheena, the four-year BA in Fine Arts is an opportunity to realise a childhood dream:

¹1 OW\ Ua ÅZ[\ LRMUJM I\ ! Before that, I used to play on buckets, pots, pans, the kitchen countertop … My two main goals, as a child, were to become a percussionist and a hotel manager.” After acquiring a distinction in Accounts at CSEC, she decided to do her A’levels and then pursue Y]ITQÅKI\QWV I[ I XZWNM[[QWVIT accountant. “I decided that that was where I wanted to go, because everyone says the arts don’t pay … It’s not considered a job. It’s something that you would do as a hobby,” she explained. But when she learnt of UTT’s BFA programme, she dropped everything else, A’levels included, to follow her passion. “When I walked into the audition with my djembe, one of the teachers said, ‘Sheena Richardson, we’ve been waiting for you,’” she laughed. “I’d called a few times just to clarify things. Apparently, I made an impression.” Sheena’s classes at the APA run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then there are the extra-curricular activities: “The whole of the music faculty is divided into ensembles. Our group is called The Heavy Rollers and currently we’re trying to expand our repertoire.”

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Percussionist SHEENA RICHARDSON in action on the djembe at UTT's NAPA campus. While camped in the percussion room she told of her journey into music, August 24th.

She has composed pieces for performance by the ensemble and plans to do more in the future: “I’m hoping to write music not only for percussion but for all genres … I want to be a professional percussionist, composer and singer.” But there is more to it. Sheena sees herself playing a critical role in the preservation of Trinidad and Tobago folk music: “I want to implement our folk rhythms in the major genres of music and make them popular again. The Cubans do it to their music. The Brazilians do it. Why can’t we?” And, of course, there is teaching. As part of its community engagement programme, the APA has teamed up with the Immortelle Centre, a school for children with special needs. Sheena is scheduled to teach music classes at the centre later this year. She will also be teaching percussion during a country-wide tour of 14 special-needs schools. She can hardly wait. “I love teaching kids. I’m looking forward to it.” A pause, a tilt of the head, and she smiles: “Look at that workshop we just had … I have a gift to explore.” ruth@mycampuschronicle.com

21

ARTS & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

USC group's Kanye West imitation, Lock Down, becomes viral YouTube sensation By Abby Brathwaite STAFF REPORTER

There really isn’t anything funny about a state of emergency, with its extra powers for the police and army, curfew and the suspension of some of our constitutional rights. *]\ QV \PW[M ÅZ[\ NM_ LIa[ IN\MZ this announcement was made by Prime Minister Kamla-Persad Bissessar, the Lock Down song appeared on YouTube. And let’s be honest, it’s pretty funny. The chorus is a serious contender NWZ \PM WNÅKQIT [\I\M WN MUMZgency anthem: And we inside lockdown/Inside lockdown/And we inside lockdown/Inside lockdown/And we inside lockdown/ Inside lockdown/You too/You too. The song is so popular that DJs have started playing it on the radio and at parties. “Lockdown” is a remix of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown,” which was the lead single on his “808s & Heartbreak” album. Even West’s use of auto-tuned vocals was copied in the local composition, but the group was able to make the song all their own. The Campus Chronicle met with \PM Å^M O]a[ ZM[XWV[QJTM NWZ \PM KZMative production at their makeshift home studio in Morvant recently. Roll call: Dale Barzey, 35; Bj’orn Pierre, 19; Izayah Phillip 18; Keon Charles 27; and Jhervae Pierre 22. All except the older of the Pierre brothers attend the University of the Southern Caribbean. But they share much more than that. In some instances, their friendship began because their fathers were friends or because they are related or because they attend the same church or because the live in the same neighbourhood. They’ve been spending time with

MARK GELLINEAU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

These friends recorded their You Tube sensation, a funny remake of a Kanye West song here at a home studio.

each other for a very long time. And it shows in their on-camera antics. These guys have been quietly making a name for themselves in the amateur parody world. If you’ve seen their interpretation of Kes’ “Wotless,” which has more than 100,000 views on YouTube, or Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation,” then you’d be familiar with their brand of over-the-top humour. While “Lockdown” is a departure from their parody-making trend, these guys still had fun making the song and video – a feat they were able to complete in less than three hours. It all began with Bj’orn Pierre. “So I heard ‘Lockdown’ and the

ÅZ[\ \PQVO \PI\ KWUM[ \W UQVL _I[ the biggest producer Kanye West ‘Love Lockdown,’ so I called the whole crew come and we came by my house about 7:30 and we all took some time to come up with some hilarious lyrics,” Bj’orn said. Bj’orn wrote the chorus and the ÅZ[\ ^MZ[M \PI\ QVKT]LM[ \PM [\IVLout line: Aunty Kamla say we can’t go no wey this is serious ting no democracy/Now I’m here alone sitting all alone screaming no no no no … Everyone else wrote the verse that they sang. By the time all the lyrics were written and the song was recorded, the group had little time left before the then-9 p.m. curfew. But they

were adamant that they had to record a video. Barzey said, “I went to my car to look for the video camera, but then I realized that I did not have it, but we knew we had to do a video for the song. So I took out my phone and we decided to just go for it.” Once they pressed record on the Blackberry Bold 9700, they did not stop. Everything was done in one shot. The rest is Internet history. One week after writing the song, \PM O]a[ LQL IV WNÅKQIT ^QLMW _Q\P the help of producer Kwesi Lee and began printing T-shirts with lyrics from “Lockdown.” The proceeds from the sales of their merchandise will help them

purchase equipment so that they can continue producing music and offering their creative services, which include vocal and video recording and beat productions. )TT Å^M O]a[ PI^M \PMQZ XMZ[WVIT goals. Bj’orn is working on a gospel album and has his own production company, while Barzey is more focused on humour and parodies. No matter where their skills take \PMU \PM[M Å^M NZQMVL[ [Ia \PMa will continue working together to make music people can appreciate. And hopefully continue to make us laugh. abby@mycampuschronicle.com

“Lock Down” can be viewed at www. youtube.com/watch?v=0AmAfYImfDA.

22

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Organization aims to raise profile of tertiary sports in Trinidad and Tobago By Staff Reporter The Tertiary Sporting Association of Trinidad and Tobago (TSATT), formed three months ago, aims to become a representative body for university sporting teams nationwide. “It’s an amalgamation of tertiary institutions with regard to sport,” said Moriba Baker, the association’s interim president.

“And we are focused on developing sport at the tertiary level.” The association will host three leagues this semester in the sporting disciplines of football, netball and table tennis. The football and netball leagues will consist of the intercampus league - which will facilitate competition among the eight campuses of the University of Trinidad & Tobago

- and the university league - which will pit nine universities against each other. The table tennis league, the most recent addition to the trio, will start with an intra-campus division and culminate in a one-day intercampus tournament where the best from each UTT campus will compete for the win. ¹<PQ[ Q[ \PM ÅZ[\ \QUM \PI\ _M¼ZM PI^QVO I

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Folk Songs & Musical Renderings

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Dramatic Readings & Lectures

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table tennis league and we hope to expand it next year to include other universities,” said Devonish Paul, one of the league’s organisers. The football and netball leagues, which have existed for three years, were previously under the ambit of UTT’s Academy of Sport and Leisure Studies (ASLS). This year, ASLS will host UTT’s intercampus league, while TSATT will administer the university league. The football league is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 28. A total of 36 games will be played in the university league while 16 games will be played in the intercampus league. The University of the West Indies, defending champions for two consecutive years, will be one of the teams competing for the title. Both the netball league and table tennis leagues are carded to start in October. UWI, last year’s netball champs, will return this year to defend its title. It can expect some competition from the UTT team, who was named Champion of Champions on Sept. 10, when it won the national tournament organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association. UTT also won last year’s championship division of the All Sectors Netball League (ASNL). Baker said that the association also plans to facilitate Trinidad and Tobago’s participation in international events such as those hosted by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). “We hope to have representation at all FISU competitions … and to one day hold several of the FISU tournaments here,” he said. An interim committee consisting of representatives from three universities Q[ ILUQVQ[\MZQVO <;)<< <PM ÆMLOTQVO association’s membership includes UWI; UTT; the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago; the University of the Southern Caribbean; the Caribbean Nazarene College; the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute; the School of Business and Computer Science; Cipriani Labour College; and ROYTEC. ruth@mysampuschronicle.com

BE INFORMED. READ THE NEWS.

24

Sports

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

By Faine Richards

I

STAFF REPORTER

t’s 5:30 a.m. Darkness still envelops the Aranguez Savannah. The sound of what seems like spinning bicycle wheels pierces the silence. Ricky Singh is making laps in his wheelchair. He’ll propel himself around the savannah 15 times in the next two hours. “Seeing me, people would ask, ‘Boy, yuh ent tired?’ And I’d say, ‘No, I just keep going,’” the softspoken 27-year-old says. The intense training regimen _QTT JM I Å`\]ZM WN ;QVOP¼[ LIQTa routine for the next month, as he prepares for the eighth annual University of the West Indies (UWI) Sports and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) International Half Marathon on Oct. 30. A look at Singh’s performance in the 13-mile race in recent years proves why he could be the one to watch yet again. Of the four times he’s competed since 2006, Singh has clinched the top prize three times. As the defending champion in the wheelchair category, the Barataria native is determined to retain his title. But while he’s battling hungry challengers, he’ll also be competing against himself. Singh holds the record for the fastest time in the history of the half marathon’s wheelchair category, clocking in at 1:33:43. ¹1¼L LMÅVQ\MTa TQSM \W JZMIS \PM record this year,” the seasoned athlete said. “I’ll probably aim for a time of one hour and 31 minutes.” He’s accomplished the feat once JMNWZM <PM ÅZ[\ \QUM PM MV\MZML the marathon, in 2006, Singh set a new record of 1:38:13 with his victory. A year later, he shaved Å^M UQV]\M[ WNN WN PQ[ W_V record –leaving it where it currently stands. “Those were the proudest mo-

MARATHON MAN

MARK GELLINEAU | /STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

RICKY SINGH bolts through the Aranguez Savannah as part of his marathon training regimen, September 12th.

ments of my life,” Singh recalls, beaming. They were accomplishments which seemed near-impossible when he was a boy. Singh was born with a spinal cord injury which restricted the use of his legs. By the time he was 8 years old, he’d undergone eight different operations. ¹<PM ÅZ[\ []ZOMZa _I[ _PMV I was a couple weeks old. My lower spine was outside of my back, so they had to put it back in place. I also did some surgeries on my leg. If you look at it (he rolls up his pants), my leg had to cut and straighten back. It was hard to walk at all.” But spending most of his life in a wheelchair has never restricted him from getting around. Not long after entering primary school, his passion for sports began to blossom. He played basketball and cricket, and began participating in competitive racing. “No one ever said, ‘Don’t do

it,’” he recalls. “But sometimes, 1¼L NITT LW_V WZ OM\ Ua ÅVOMZ[ damaged and my dad would say, “You done in a wheelchair already and you want to damage yourself.’ Me with my eagerness and, well, I’m hardened, too,” he admits, a sly smile on his face. “I’ll still go at it. And my parents know it’s something that I enjoy, so they support me nonetheless.” Singh intends to continue pushing the limits of his skills, setting his sights on the goal of representing Trinidad and Tobago in international wheelchair racing competitions. But he’s learned that his disability is the easiest obstacle he has \W W^MZKWUM \W N]TÅTT \PI\ LZMIU To compete professionally against the top-ranked wheelchair athletes, Singh needs a specialised three-wheel manual wheelchair. This type of chair is longer and lighter than conventional twowheel chairs, improving stability

and manoeuvrability at higher speeds. “It’s very expensive, about $33,000 for one,” he explains. “It gets frustrating, because I put my best foot forward and sometimes you’re doing all this training, but I haven’t been able to get the three-wheel chair. If we could get a sponsor, that would be wonderful. I keep going with the hope that I will get the chair one day.” For now, Singh uses the wheelchair he’s had for the past seven years. Wear and tear has left the black paint peeling off the metal support bars. Other challenges threaten to stunt his athletic advancement. The half-marathon participant wants to go work out at a gym to expand his strength and endurance training. But, he laments, most gyms are not wheelchairaccessible. And without public transportation for the differently-abled, Singh spends a grueling half an hour manually steering his

wheelchair between his home in Malick and the Aranguez Savannah where he trains. Still, his spirit is never broken. Faithfully, before the break of dawn, he will be at the savannah – doing warm-ups, stretching and practicing turning manoeuvres, before making laps around the savannah. “It motivates me and it passes on the message, when people see me active like this, it gives them strength to go on. If I can do it, who are they, you know? So no matter what, set your goals and don’t give up. There’s always a way to climb the over hills … or win the race.” Singh will be one of 1,000 competitors aiming to do just that on Oct. 30. The half-marathon will start at UWI SPEC, stretch to La Resource Junction in Arima and end at the point of origin. Participants in the wheelchair KI\MOWZa _QTT ^QM NWZ I ÅZ[\ prize. faine@mycampuschronicle.com

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