The growing pains that the amalgamated University of Belize has been experiencing over the past 4 years became a migraine when plans were announced to make the move to Belmopan. But it's no pain, no gain, and this year, all but one of the faculties have made the move west. In one week, classes will start at the Belmopan Campus and this week UB welcomed new students to its Central Campus for orientation. Keith Swift has the story of the orientation's joys and blues from Belmopan.
Keith SwiftReporting, [From Belmopan City]
Days away from the start of classes and for that matter their college career, hundreds of new UB students showed up for orientation. For most of these students, it is their first time on a university campus and for the university it is also a first: it is UB’s first semester since the move fulltime to the sprawling Belmopan City campus. Many firsts and some students say there are too few answers.
Angel Zetina, UB Freshman
“Well it is kind of okay but like we needed more information like how to go to the accounts office and what are the courses we will take and the cost of it. They don’t provide so much information about we how could go about doing those things but it was okay.”
Most of those answers came from a battery of helpful orientation group leaders; OGLS as they are called. But not even the OGLS had easy answers for students like Angel Zetina from Corozal town or Douglas Iwuorioh from Belize City or Dwayne Moody also from Corozal who are all trying to make dollars and sense of the move.
Dwayne Moody, UB Freshman
“My problem is that I have to board in Belize City so I will have to commute everyday from Belize City to Belmopan and that is why I disagree with the fact of UB moving here to Belmopan because most students are from Belize City.”
KS: Will you be able to afford commuting everyday or at least when you have classes?
Dwayne Moody,
“I am assuming so.”
KS: Would you have preferred if UB had stayed in Belize City given the cost?
Dwayne Moody,
“Yes of course because most of us don’t have the finances to just take it out of pockets and just pay for our education.”
Douglas Iwuorioh, UB Freshman School of Nursing
“Definitely its going to cost all the students that are coming from Belize City to Belmopan some money because before when we were at the Belize City campus we could have just taken a walk to our class and go home. But now we have to catch a bus and feed ourselves and stuff like that so definitely its going to cost money.”
KS: You have a problem with that?
Douglas Iwuorioh,
“Well I think I need the education so there is no choice but to do it.”
But while for some the cost factor is prohibitive, other students we polled say there is the safety factor which convinces them the move to Belmopan was the right one.
KS: Would you have preferred if the central campus had stayed in Belmopan?
Andrea Gonzalez, UB Junior
“No because I am really scared of Belize City cause of all the violence and so happening there.”
Ebony Lyall, UB Freshman
“Its going to take a little while to adjust but Belmopan and Corozal are very like similar places, very quiet and different from Belize City so I think I’ll make it.”
KS: Would you have preferred for the university to remain in Belize City?
Ebony Lyall,
“No I did not want to go to school in Belize City because Belize City is very violent and I am scared of getting shot for no reason.”
And that is almost vindication for UB President Corinth Morter-Lewis who says this move to Belmopan wasn’t only a necessity, it was a natural outgrowth of the development process.
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis, UB President
“I think this move was necessary from the perspective that we need a place where we can expand. Of course we have Belize City to serve and Belize City does have a large part of our clientele and we are still providing those services there. But this campus also gives us the opportunity to develop community in that the students are all together and they have a lot of activities and facilities.”
KS: Critics say UB mainly attracts students who juggle time in the classroom and time at work and with this move to Belmopan it is now out of their reach. Your response?
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis,
“That’s not true. As I said in Belize City we are still providing programs for students and teachers who work and need to come to school. So that has not changed. Our part time students still have access to getting their programs completed and to starting new programs. So getting what they need to get done in terms of students who are in Belize City against students who are in Belmopan there is no discrepancy there.”
Both UB staff and student government are confident that life on their impressive 660 acre new campus will take shape once the kinks are worked out. Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Martin Cuellar says the work started at orientation.
Dr. Martin Cuellar, Dean of Student Affairs
“The students so far are very enthusiastic. They seem very optimistic about the facilities, the new campus, and certainly about the people who work here about the administrators and faculty that they have met so far. So right now we are very excited today we are very emotional, we are very prepared for launching into a new semester and a new academic year.”
KS: As a student government representative what are the students telling you?
Ivor Nicholas, Acting Student Government President
“Basically what we have been hearing is the entire situation about housing. Most of the Belize City students well of course when they lived in Belize City they were quite comfortable because they could go home and eat and hang out at their spots. Now travelling here to Belmopan they have a little bit more concern about the cost of housing and life here in Belmopan. Also the entire situation about transportation.”
Dr. Martin Cuellar,
“We have heard more questions than concerns. We have had students coming in over the past couple of weeks asking questions about housing in particular and transportation. The university has compiled a database with information about houses, rooms, apartments for rent, and even host families. We find that many students have come in and are already utilizing this information to set themselves up in Belmopan. In addition the university has acquired a dedicated bus system to provide transportation for those who decide to commute.”
And come August 16th that bus will be running and the doors at UB in Belmopan will swing open. That mix of hope and apprehension is probably best summed by Angel Zetina who traveled the hundred plus miles from Corozal. Despite all the problems with the move and logistics, Angel says he made the long trip for one reason.
Angel Zetina,
“It’s okay for me because I need my Bachelor’s degree to get a good job.”
Registration continues through to next Friday. Classes start on Monday August 16th. UB has enrollment of over 2,000.
For More Orientation and Registration at UBclick here to visit their website.