UCC celebrates Jamaica Day

The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) celebrated Jamaica Day on Friday, February 23 with educational exhibits and fun activities to engage both staff and students. The Montego Bay campus organised an exhibit featuring famous Jamaican poets, books and traditional household implements.

At the Worthington Avenue campus in St Andrew, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) set up an exhibition on Jamaican heritage featuring artefacts of Taino, African and English peoples, dating pre-1850 and sourced from archaeological digs across the island. The display was supplemented by the information provided by JNHT curator, Ann-Marie Howard-Brown, who is an archaeologist and was involved in several of the digs where the artefacts on display were found. The exhibits created quite a lot of interest and discussion among staff and students, particularly around the issue of slavery. As an institution of higher education, the UCC aims to provide an intellectually stimulating environment where discussions on topics of a sensitive nature can be held and opposing views voiced in a respectful manner. The air was lightened with a lunch-time karaoke session which saw students, staff and faculty engaged in the singing of festival and other popular reggae songs. Traditional Jamaican pastries were on sale and some students tasted ‘toto’ for the first time.

The event was a well-needed break leading into mid-semester assessments being held the following week. It was jointly hosted by the Student Council, Alumni Association and the HR Department as the institution continues to increase and enhance collaboration between all its stakeholders.