Gleaner journalist, human resource expert named honorary fellows
Journalist Janet Silvera has been named a distinguished honorary fellow by the Montego Bay Community College (MBCC).
Silvera, an award-winning journalist and president of the Montego Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was given the prestigious honour at the college’s graduation ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on November 24.
She shared the spotlight with lecturer and human resource expert Rodcliffe Robertson.
Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary and sustained contributions to the college or western Jamaica, the two recipients boast professional careers marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct and civility.
In a citation read by MBCC lecturer Edris Johnson, Silvera was lauded as a philanthropist, who has made education one of her most enduring legacies, having raised over $23.5 million over the last six years to fund needy students in western Jamaica through her MoBay City Run charity.
The 10K/5K Run and Walk, which was established specifically to raise funds to support struggling university students hungry to fulfil their dreams and aspirations of attaining tertiary level education has supported hundreds of students at the MBCC since its inception.
Silvera is also the founder of advocacy group Sarah’s Children, which advocates on behalf of abused children and the elderly.
Robertson was recognised for his role in giving unparalleled support to the college’s work-experience programme by facilitating the placement of numerous students at both Sandals and Grand Palladium Resorts, where he has worked.
According to the institution, Robertson has mentored, motivated, and empowered students and provided financial assistance from his personal funds to needy ones while positively affecting the professional development of staff through mentorship and research.
Admired for his philosophy of service above self, Robertson is renowned to have provided leadership in a variety of organisations and institutions, guiding them to higher standards in addition to giving 25 years of voluntary service to the credit union movement in Jamaica. >>source<<
Congratulations O'Neil Nelson on your latest award
Congratulations O'Neil Nelson on your latest award, the John and Suzanne Roueche Excellence Award, which you recieved at a ceremony in New York late last month. Keep being amazing O'Neil.
www.league.org advises:
John E. and Suzanne D. Roueche, leaders in the community college field and early proponents of the idea that teachers have major responsibility for how well students perform in the classroom, have been partners and friends of the League for Innovation in the Community College for over thirty-five years.
What began as a working relationship with the founders of the League has eveolved into a full-fledged partnership through collaborative efforts on projects of mutual interest and national concern.
In recognition of the long tradition of excellence in community college teaching and leardership, the League established the John & Suanne Roueche Awards in 2012.
These awards are open to League Board and Alliance member institutions to celebrate outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff.
Recipients are recognized in a series of activities and promotions, and honored at special events at the League's Innovations Conference each spring.
Wonderful to see AUT celebrating your successes on the AUT intranet and I understand the DCT newsletter this month included similar coverage of your successes.
- Sacha Pointon
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17 records fall as MoBay CC capture CCCJ track & field and cheerleading Champs
ANGELS, St Catherine — Seventeen records were broken two Saturdays ago as Montego Bay Community College (MBCC) won the overall title for the first time at the fourth staging of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) track and field and cheerleading championships held at G C Foster Sports College in Angels, St Catherine.
Four athletes broke two records each — MBCC's Mickaell Moodie set new marks in the women's 100m and 200m; Safiya Clennon from the College of Arts, Science and Education (CASE) broke the records in the women's long and high jumps, while Exed Community College's Paketo Dudley broke the men's 100m and long jump mark and his teammate Danule Daley broke the men's shot put and discus throw marks.
MBCC retained their female team title and totalled 215 points to take the overall title to dethrone Knox Community College, who were second with 201 with Moneague College third with 162.
Exed Community College won the men's section, ahead of Knox CC and MBCC.
Meet director Aldene Crew was pleased with the number of records that were broken in the meet, one more than last year when it was held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
“We had a number of records broken again this year, and it shows that the athletes and coaches are putting in a lot of work and it is showing in the performances. As the years go by and more records fall it shows that the meet is growing in quality,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Overall, he gave the meet a high grade. “It was a good meet, first time away from Montego Bay Sports Complex and the first time at G C Foster and it seems to work for Montego Bay Community College, so maybe at least it was good for them to leave home.”
Delano Smith, coach of the winning team, said he was “overwhelmed” with the victory. “It was tremendous effort, there were a lot of challenges but we overcame them and that made it even sweeter.”
Smith had high praises for the women's team. “We had 11 females, same number as last year but they are true warriors, and hats off to them.”
Seventeen-year-old Moodie upstaged her teammate Hodecia Housen, who took the double last year, with times of 11.80 seconds in the 100m and 25.21 seconds in the 200m.
Moodie and Housen ran identical 12.22 seconds to win their respective semi-final heats but with medals on the line, Moodie took almost an entire second off both records, lowering the previous 100m mark of 12.71 second set in 2017 by Shanique McKenzie and smashed the 26.11 seconds set by Housen last year.
Dudley, a former ISSA Boys' Champs Class Two long jump gold medallist while at Jamaica College, won the 100m in a smart 10.42 seconds, beating the old 10.91 seconds held by Delano Bailey a year ago.
Earlier, he had won the long jump with an impressive 7.05m, to surpass the 6.88m set last year by Jonathon Smith, also of Exed, needing only three jumps to secure the title.
Clennon, who won three events last year, jumped 5.04m to win the long jump, extending the record of 5.00m set in 2017 by Tamoya Walters.
She not only retained her high jump title but cleared 1.62m to beat the 1.60m she set last year.
Daley threw the discus 44.70m, more than three metres past the old mark if 41.45m set in 2017 by Maurice Harrison.
Later, he smashed the old shot put mark of 12.73m set last year by Jovan Smith.
Knox CC's Bailey retained his 200m title, running 21.57 seconds to break the 21.79 seconds he set last year in the process.
Both 800m records were broken — Demoyah Bonner of Moneague College clocked two minutes 33.79 seconds to break the mark of 2:39.02 minutes set last year by CASE's Anniesha Walker, who was second in 2:36.47 minutes, also under the old mark.
Knox CC's Dwayne Moore outclassed the men's field in a smart one minute 53.82 seconds, just under the 1:53.93 set last year by Chadoye Dawson, also of Knox CC.
Exed CC's Shavaun Dawson improved on his second place in the men's high jump last year, winning the gold medal and setting a new record 1.91m, higher than the 1.90m, which was the previous best.
Another Exed CC athlete Choy Jones threw the javelin 52.33m, well over the 48.48m set last year by Knox CC's Jovan Smith when he won back-to-back titles.
All three women's relays records were broken with MBCC accounting for the 4x100m in 50.41 seconds and the 4x400m in four minutes 23.62 seconds, while Moneague College won the sprint medley in one minute 58.51 seconds.
The Exed men's 4x100m team ran 42.02 seconds under the old mark of 43.30 seconds, set by another Exed team last year.
Combined scores
Montego Bay Community College 215
Knox Community College 201
Moneague College 162
Excelsior Community College 160
CASE 152
Brown's Town Community College 95
Men's points
Excelsior Community College 160
Knox Community College 148
Montego Bay Community College 68
Brown's Town Community College 58
CASE 46
Moneague College 30
Women's points
Montego Bay Community College 147
Moneague College 132
CASE 106
Knox Community College 53
Brown's Town Community College 37
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MoBay Community College to offer Mandarin come September
WESTERN BUREAU:
Montego Bay Community College (MBCC) in St James will be offering the Chinese language Mandarin, as a course when the next academic year begins.
MBCC’s principal, Dr Maureen Nelson, confirmed the September start following yesterday’s visit to the school by China’s ambassador to Jamaica, Tian Qi.
“The course will be offered, starting in September of 2019. We signed a memorandum of understanding in December, and we are currently working on a work permit for the instructor so he can start teaching in September,” Nelson told The Gleaner.
The principal noted that Mandarin will allow students, particularly those entering the tourism sector, to have better communication with Chinese nationals.
“Because of the population increase in Chinese nationals in this area, it is critical for our students leaving the institution to be equipped, especially in the hospitality area, to communicate with these nationals, and we’re prepared to share the experience with other institutions, as well,” said Nelson.
In starting the programme in the Second City, MBCC will follow in the footsteps of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Western Jamaica Campus, which launched a Mandarin programme in association with the Confucius Institute at The UWI, Mona campus, in 2014. That initiative was done to bridge the language barrier in order to capitalise on the deepening China-Jamaica relations, which has resulted in an expansion of prospects for trade, commerce, and tourism.
During his visit yesterday, the Chinese ambassador told MBCC officials that the school’s willingness to teach Mandarin will help to cement the current relationship between China and Jamaica.
“I think the Chinese course in this college is only the beginning. You are a pioneer and contributor to our cooperation, and in the future, I hope we can attract more cultural elements to the course here,” said Tian.
“We always say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We have taken the first step, and I’d like to join hands with you, for us to grow together, he added. >>source