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June 2010: Honours Students from University of Central
Florida Assist Nevis Oral History Project
“From spending time with the youngest
students on St. Kitts, to hearing the stories of the older generations on Nevis,
I felt connected to the people of the Islands as a whole,” said sophomore
Chemistry major Nomi Sherwin. “In hiking in the rainforest, learning to play
cricket and helping to find nesting sea turtles, I have to say that my eyes were
opened to a whole new world.”
"June 20, 2010...Oral History
workshopping with Chesley Davis was a revealing experience, and even though on
some of the interviews he took the lead quite a lot, I learned a lot from
interviewing Bertram Roach today. I found I not only got more exposure to
Nevisian culture and history, but also about conducting and leading interviews
in a broader sense. - Sean Skow:
June 21, 2010
It was our last day of oral history projects. The last person we talked to was
De Maestro, David Freeman, who has been playing the fife for over 60 years. He
was definitely my favorite person to interview, because his story was so
interesting and he was such a laidback person. Our project manager, Mr. Davis,
knew him beforehand, so it was interesting to see them interact too. I could see
his passion for music, and he was very open about it and played his fife for us.
He also told some stories about different places he has played, and the Nager
Business Troupes came up in conversation. Once I realized what he was talking
about, I got really excited that I had read about what he was sharing with us.
It was so fun to recognize something he had personally experienced and be able
to talk about it with him, knowing at least a little bit about it beforehand.
Like some of the other interviewees, he brought us drinks. Giving guests food
seems to be a Nevisian thing to do, which I thought was really nice and
something I want to do when I have people over at my house. I feel like it is a
good example of the kind, open nature of the Federation. - Megan Kizzort:
Nine honors students
explored diverse ecosystems, helped locals preserve their rich history
and refurbished a school’s labs during a service-learning trip to the
Caribbean. The UCF President’s Scholars spent two weeks on St. Kitts and
Nevis following four weeks of lectures about the island nation. Students
learned about and experienced the country’s history, culture, politics,
economics and people. “From spending time with the youngest students on
St. Kitts, to hearing the stories of the older generations on Nevis, I
felt connected to the people of the Islands as a whole,” said sophomore
Chemistry major Nomi Sherwin. “In hiking in the rainforest, learning to
play cricket and helping to find nesting sea turtles, I have to say that
my eyes were opened to a whole new world.”
The scholars played African drums and witnessed folklore in the form of
a masquerade. They also learned the art of gathering oral histories and
interviewed several community elders.
Students shadowed doctors and nurses making their rounds at a local
hospital. To generate more interest in the sciences, they also
refurbished and painted the science and computer labs at a primary
school.
“With the presence of both a rainforest and the ocean, it is imperative
that the students of St. Kitts become interested in science,” Sherwin
said. “Students flock to careers in business, but few, if any, pursue
careers in the sciences. It is our hope that, with the new science and
computer labs, students will learn more and want to go into
science-related fields.”
UCF students also helped to design gardens that are part of Clarence
Fitzroy Bryant College’s alternate farming project, which uses minerals
from water instead of soil to grow crops. This technique conserves
space, cost and resources, expanding agricultural production.
(continued below)
All Photos: Michael
Rodriguez |
UCF Drumming and Carnival Dance Workshop: Kneeling
from left to right are tutor Colin Stapleton (Duggin), Brittany Broder,
anna Burns, and Kristi Ray. Standing left to right are Alana Persaud
and Annie Warner. |
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Click to see a great 6 minute video of the interviews! |
Eugene Pemberton Performing during Interview with UCF
Students |
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Beltram Roach with UCF Student Megan Kizzort |
Wilma Cornelius Being Interviewed by UCF Students |
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Ralph Harris Being Interviewed by UCF Students |
UCF Students with Beltram Roach |
In its seventh year, The
President’s Scholars Program provides a study abroad experience to UCF’s
highest-achieving honors students. This was the program’s third trip to
St Kitts and Nevis. Students in prior years studied in Italy and
England.
“This year was especially important because of the deeper impact and the
sustainability of our projects in education, public health, sustainable
agriculture, oral history and African drumming,” said Kevin Meehan, an
associate professor of English whose research focuses on Caribbean
literature.The program
enriches the students’ education at UCF and strengthens their
applications for scholarships, said Martin Dupuis, assistant dean of the
Burnett Honors College and an associate professor of Political Science.
Meehan and Dupuis, both of whom have organizational and family ties to
the island nation, organized the trip and traveled with the students.
Their travels included a hike up the tallest mountain in St. Kitts, Mt.
Liamigua, a volcano with a water-filled crater where students enjoyed a
refreshing swim. While most of the students hiked up almost 4,000 feet,
one student experienced the volcano tour quite differently. Sophomore
Nursing major Kristi Ray put on her scuba gear and dove from the
Atlantic coast through caves, eventually reaching the volcano’s crater
pond. On the way, Ray swam with hammerhead sharks and leatherback
turtles.
Students monitored sea turtles during another part of the trip, and they
encountered a mother leatherback who had just laid eggs.
“I crawled into the ocean next to her as she made her way back into the
sea,” said Brittany Broder, a sophomore Mechanical Engineering major.
“It was a life-changing night that really opened my eyes to the beauty
and wonder of nature.” |
The UCF Students Nevis
Schedule
Thurs. 17th June
Arrival at Pinneys Beach Hotel
Guests on Heritage Talk Radio Show
Fri. 18th June
The Heritage Trail Island Tour with Emile Pemberton
Lunch at Nelsons Museum
Biodiversity Presentation by Paul Diamond
Orientation for Oral History Workshop with Chesley Davis
Sat. 19th June
Drumology with Keoma George
Oral History workshop with Chesley Davis
Sun. 20th June
The Source Rainforest Hike with Earla Liburd
Refreshments at Peak Haven
Mon. 21st June
Drumology with Keoma George
Oral History workshop with Chesley Davis
Tues. 22nd June
Feedback from the Workshops
Lunch at Pinneys Beach Hotel |
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