Lead Stories

Students who attend the Mandeville-based Northern Caribbean University (NCU) were admonished yesterday to hang on to the institution's Christian values and not yield to temptation.

Dr Herbert Thompson, the university's president, made the remarks in a follow-up interview to his address at the graduation exercises held at the main campus.

In expressing condolences to the family of Shannel Norris, who was murdered, allegedly by a soldier, last Wednesday in Mandeville, Thompson admitted that the Seventh-day Adventist university could not rein in students whose lifestyles did not line up with Christian values.

"There have been numerous discussions surrounding her death and we would like to let it to be known that as we grow as a university, we will face more challenges than we have had before. We can teach the values to our students but it is left to them to live out what we have taught and live a decent life."

"We operate a community university where nine out of every 10 students live in the communities around the campus. Therefore, it is impossible to control the lives of individuals who study here."

NCU currently has a student population of more than 5,600 drawn from 29 countries.

Thompson added: "The administration of NCU appeals to our students and others in the wider society to be careful of the alliances and relationships that they might form in the community.

"We are living in serious times and every student would do well to be reminded of the moral principles taught to them while they are attending the university."