Tomorrow the University of the West Indies in Belize will hold what is called a lyme. We weren't quite sure what that means so we turned to the experts. Three UWI students home from their studies for their summer vacations.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
They might look like three average Belizean young people but these are future professionals. Herschel will be an engineer, Christelle an attorney and Darrell an attorney. They are all pursuing their degrees at the University of the West Indies. But while they are all going to the same school, they've never met each other and this is their first encounter at our studio in Belize. Each attends a different campus: Darrell is at Barbados, Christelle at Jamaica and Herschel at Trinidad. Now they are meeting in Belize to foster a unity among these Belizeans studying in different places.
Christelle, Belizean UWI Student - Jamaica
"We're joining the St. Augustine students with Mona, the Barbados, and the Belize City students who from time to time feel that they are not really a part of the university because they are not abroad and we just want to link everybody together and show them that the center here provides a lot of resources and it offers so much that they should always feel that they are a part of this entire network, and that's what we're doing; we're networking."
They are now starting that support organization through an event known in the Caribbean as a lyme.
Christelle,
"We talk, we share experiences, we just hang out and that's basically what a lyme entails. Sometimes you play dominoes, kick back relax, talk about anything and that's the idea that we're trying to now incorporate in Belizean soil. We want to bring in this lyme idea that all the students will get together, we talk, we share the different experiences what happened on the other campuses, we get to know each other, and we build a friendship so that you never feel alone when you are outside far away from home in a foreign land."
And according to Herschel Armstrong it's very necessary to overcome that feeling of alienation.
Herschel Armstrong, Belizean UWI Student - Trinidad
"When I first went across there, there were about 4 Belizeans at the most that I knew of and basically I think I became more of a Trinidadian than a Belizean because all my friends were Trinidadian and I think this group is a really good idea because out there you need that kind of support."
It's most acute at the St. Augustine Campus where the 15 Belizean students came under intense scrutiny after the tragic suicide of promising student Rishi Cummins who jumped to his death form the top of a three-storey building on the campus.
Herschel Armstrong,
"What happened wit Rishi definitely opened the eyes of a lot of people in administration and just people in general on that campus and it brought attention to the fact that there are smaller islands, smaller countries, with students there at the campus that are being neglected basically and Rishi's death, although it shocked all of us and I am not trying to get something positive out of it, but it definitely brought us together as a group at that campus too because we came together, arranged to have a memorial service for him there, and it kind of brought our attention to the fact that we need to support each other. University life is hard with a student having the kind of workload that UWI puts on you and you need to have that kind of backing, just the fellowship with students whether its in sports, whether its in music, you just need to have that kind of group and the association affords you that type of thing. The relationship between Rishi and us, the other Belizeans, I guess it wasn't as strong as we may have liked it to be."
Now with efforts like tomorrow night's lyme they hope that bond gets stronger and the profile of the Belizean students is enhanced.
Darrell Bradley, Belizean UWI Student - Barbados
"Being in the Caribbean they don't really feel the presence of Belize because we are so few in numbers. One of the things I get is people ask a lot about is because we have so much diversity, we have a strong Hispanic background so the Caribbean tends to be very Creole and so people will ask a lot about what's the ethnic makeup of Belize. They'll ask a lot of questions and so it feels good that you can enlighten people to some of the characteristics of your country and you can be a good ambassador for Belize."
The lyme session begins tomorrow at 1 at the auditorium of the UWI School of Continuing Studies.
