The University College of the Caribbean (UCC) held an orientation session for January 2010 incoming students at its Montego Bay campus on Wednesday, January 6.

The guest speaker was Lloyd B Smith, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, and noted journalist and newspaper publisher in Montego Bay. In his address, he challenged the audience to reflect on the role they would have to play in nation-building, given the socio-economic state of affairs in Jamaica at this time.

He challenged them to use the skills and knowledge they would obtain through their studies with UCC to think in terms of wealth creation and developing and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities. However, the creation of wealth was not to be an end in itself, but was to be an enabling resource in the process of nation-building and to do so with an attitude based on service and selflessness.

Response to Haiti crisis

UCC, like many Jamaican organisations, has responded to the plight of our Haitian brothers and sisters in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake. The programme is called Haiti Relief 2010. The institution has asked all its stakeholders to make contributions of cash, clothing, emergency supplies and non-perishable food items. The students and staff have begun to respond positively and we anticipate we will be able to respond in an important way to the plight of the Haitians.

If you are an alumni of UCC, we invite you to make a contribution by taking your donation to the customer service office at 17 Worthington Avenue between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays, and between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sundays.