JAMAICA COLLEGE OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, INC.
PROGRAMME
Kevin Moulton Host Musical Repertoire The Monticelli Trio
08:00 PM Cocktails Book Signing Dr. Kwame Dawes (Host: akashic books) Musical Repertoire Monticelli Trio 09:00 PM
Invocation & JC School Prayer National Anthems United States of America & Jamaica Accompaniment: The Monticelli Trio Remarks Dr. Dwight Williams President, JCOBANY
Ms. Sabrina HoSang Community Leadership Award Presenter: Consul General Herman LaMont Dr. Kwame Dawes Outstanding Alumnus Award Presenter: His Excellency Raymond O. Wolfe Mr. Wayne Seaton Outstanding Alumnus Award Presenter: Dr. Dwight Williams
Keynote Address Mr. Ruel Reid Principal of Jamaica College
Hon. R. Danny Williams Distinguished Alumnus Award Presenter: Mr. Derryck Cox, OD,
Video Presentation “Fervet Opus in Campis”
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AWARDS CEREMONY Host: His Excellency Raymond O. Wolfe, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations Musical Repertoire Monticelli Trio
Welcome & Introductions
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Poetry Reading/Book Excerpts Dr. Kwame Dawes
JC Foundation Report Hon. R. Danny Williams
Closing Remarks Mr. Michael McDonald Vice President JCOBANY
DINNER
Dancing Music by Soul Tone Disco with DJ Prentice
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JCOBANY President’s Message I am delighted to welcome you to the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York (JCOBANY) 20th Anniversary and Awards Banquet. We’re here tonight to celebrate accomplishments and to recognize leadership. And indeed, there’s much to celebrate! As I reflect on the history of the JCOBANY, I am deeply grateful to the pioneers who started this Association approximately 2O years ago and to all the alumni and friends of Jamaica College (JC) that have supported the organization over the years. Tonight is a special night! Not only because we are celebrating 20 years of service to JC, Jamaica and the local community, but because of the caliber people we are honoring and the keynote speaker, Mr. Ruel Reid, Principal of Jamaica College. We anxiously await Mr. Reid’s remarks regarding the magnificent transformation of our beloved alma mater, Jamaica College. My heartiest congratulations and warmest welcome to our well-deserving honorees: • Hon. R. Danny Williams, class of ’52 is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Mr. Williams is arguably Jamaica's most energetic businessman and his significant contributions to JC and Jamaica is testimony to the difference that one individual can make. • Dr. Kwame Dawes, class of ’78 is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award. Dr. Dawes is a prolific author, poet, musician and professor. He has been aptly described as “one of the most important writers of his generation who has built a mighty and lasting body of work”. We look forward to hearing some excerpts from his works during the programme tonight. • Mr. Wayne Seaton, class of ’ ’80 is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award. Mr. Seaton is the Managing Director of Public Finance at Wells Fargo Securities. He has had a stellar career as an accomplished senior level executive at several global financial institutions over past 20 years. Mr. Seaton is also a major financial benefactor and former Board member of the JCOBANY. • Ms. Sabrina HoSang, recipient of the Community Leadership Award is an exemplary dynamic young leader with a deep philanthropic spirit, who is carrying on her family’s tradition of giving back generously and consistently to the community. What we’re doing here tonight is more than an awards ceremony, as enjoyable as that is. By singling out and recognizing these individuals, we send a message that this is the kind of society we want to have—a society that respects individual achievement and takes pride in the values and traditions which have been the hallmarks of Jamaica College for over 200 years. We also extend warmest welcome to our special guests and two of Jamaica’s most exceptional public servants: Jamaica College Alumnus, His Excellency Mr. Raymond O. Wolfe, Ambassador of Jamaica and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to our newly appointed Consul General to New York, Mr. Herman LaMont. My deepest gratitude to the JCOBANY members and to the Executive Board, our sponsors, supporters, well-wishers, and all who were able to make it here tonight. Your continued support is our lifeline. Once again I welcome you all to what I know will be a most enjoyable evening. Floreat Collegium - Fervet Opus In Campis! Sincerely, Dwight E. Williams, DDS,MPH President. 4
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The Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York Inc. is a registered charity with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 501(C) 3 tax-exempt status. Founded in 1990, the JCOBANY is the official Tri State representative of Jamaica College, one of the oldest and most distinguished secondary schools in the Western Hemisphere. 2 0
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Jamaica College Principal’s Message am very delighted to greet you on this special occasion of your 20th anniversary and annual dinner. We have been blessed over the many years with your generous contributions to the development of Jamaica College and more recently our partnership for transformation and our success in the FTC robotics competition. We have proven that we are not only among the best in Jamaica but internationally.
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You all must feel very proud of the returns on your investment (ROI). Jamaica College is once again seen as a school of choice. We have achieved so many great things in the last five to six years that we have become the envy of all schools in Jamaica. I want to pay special tribute to our just retired distinguished Board Chairman, Dr. Hon. R. Danny Williams and Mrs. Williams for their role and leadership in this transformational effort. We have excelled on every front. Our academic performance, infrastructure and discipline have seen major improvement. We have seen 40 % improvement in 2009 and 201 0 and 1 00 % improvement in Mathematics passes in 201 1 and continued good results in English Language. We gained 1 00 % passes in most subjects at the CXC Advanced Level (CAPE). We have continued our excellence in co-curricular and sports. 201 0-201 1 is a most special and memorable year as we continued to do well in Schools’ Challenge Quiz and athletics at Principal Ruel Reid CHAMPS, we retained the U1 4 football all island championship, regained the Walker Cup and for the first time in our history was triple champions of, Manning Cup, Walker Cup, and the Olivier Shield. Having done well at the Gibson Relays last year we won the coveted Mortimer Geddes Trophy at CHAMPS 201 1 after a long drought and gave it up to a deserving Calabar High in 201 2. This is indeed is a fantastic roll of unprecedented achievements and turn around in such a short time period. I wish to thank our Vice principals, Deans, HODs, Year supervisors and classroom teachers, ancillary, administrative staff, parents, prefects and students for the team work exhibited in making our transformational efforts so far very successful. Thanks also to our Board, the New York Old Boys, JC Trust, JC Foundation and JCOBA locally for the significant financial contribution to our development programmes. Special recognition should be extended to Hon. Dr. Karl Hendrickson for his contribution of $ 50 million toward the building of our new auditorium. We thank Mother’s Enterprises Ltd. and Mr. Carlyle Hudson (old boy) for an investment of $ 1 0 million to refurbish our canteen. Thanks too to our 50s and 60s old boys for an exquisite entrance gate totaling some $ 1 0 million. We intend to make each school year better than the one before. May God continue to bless us all and our school, Jamaica College. Fervet, forever!! Ruel B. Reid, Principal – Jamaica College 6
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Over Two Decades of ~ Dedication ~ Commitment ~ Service
UJAA President’s Message I bring greetings to you on this 20th anniversary celebration of Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association in New York. You are gathered tonight because you share a vision of improving the education and well-being of the young men at your alma mater. As “old boys”, more than any other group associated with the school community, you have that passion, that understanding and the opportunity to contribute to the development of Jamaica College. Yours is a tradition of tireless enthusiasm, shown without fanfare or fuss. Why? You have not lost sight of the fact that you have been blessed to have attended the fourth oldest school in Jamaica where was nurtured, over the years, a rich tradition in academics and athletics. And so, as “old boys”, you continue to play important roles in the religious, political, business and professional development of Jamaica. I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to mention your most recent contribution to the life of JC. Three years ago, it was you who introduced Robotics to the young men leading to a historic first entry of a high school outside of the United States in a robotics competition. The success of the team has been very encouraging and that you are now sharing this with other schools through the alumni associations here in New York is a fine example of leadership and vision. I applaud and endorse your continued and unwavering contribution. The timing is ever more right than before as our beloved country celebrates 50 years as an independent nation. We in the Diaspora have contributed significantly during these years and must continue to play an effective role in the restoration and building of our nation. I call upon each of you to continue to be engaged in the life of your school, your community and, similarly, the life of UJAA. I join you in celebrating your honorees and commend you on your selection. Congratulations to Messrs Williams, Seaton and Dawes and Ms. HoSang. Tonight’s celebration and merriment is well deserved. Let it keep you going, spur you on and remember “ Fervet opus in campis”. Be assured of the continuing support of UJAA on whose behalf I extend best wishes for a successful celebration this evening and for many more years of continued success. Kalene Largie, President
UNION OF JAMAICAN ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS (U.S.A.) INC. 1452 President Street, Brooklyn, New York 11213 |516.713.8270 |www.ujaausa.org
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JCOBANY – A BRIEF HISTORY In 1992 the Jamaica College Alumni Association (USA) Inc. was born when Michael Jones, Gary Gooden, Paul Lewis, Laurence Cooper, Donovan Jones and Marlon Hew signed on to the project. This group was soon joined by stalwarts like Lowell Campbell, Lance Clarke, Leslie Woodbine, Keith McLean and Derek Robertson. A media campaign in the Weekly Gleaner announcing the first meeting, yielded not the flood of eager JC alumni we naively expected, but two charming young ladies, Paulette James and her cousin Junie. That Paulette has remained an ardent supporter of JC to this day is testimony to her discerning nature. Donovan Jones, was elected president. The Association was faced with two seemingly irreconcilable circumstances – the apathetic nature of many JC alumni and the felt need among the Executive to be quickly among the leaders of the alumni movement. It was decided that only innovation could effectively solve that puzzle. We would do things differently. Our focus would be JC but also always looking to the bigger picture of nationalism in our projects. The Association, like other groups, has supported our school’s Penn Relays efforts over many years (kudos to Lance Clarke for his 20 unbroken years of service on this project). After seeing the amazing platform that Penn provides for Jamaicans, plans were laid and executed in 1995-1999 to exploit it in a way no one else had. So Trackstars Magazine was born, with reporting on ALL the schools from Jamaica participating at Penn, written by a stellar team of reporters hired in Jamaica including the late, great Jimmy Carnegie. Led by Trackstars, the Association launched Jamaican style street merchandising at Penn with T-shirts, flags etc. offered for sale. This was a massive hit with track fans and one of the factors which inspired Irwine Clare to create the remarkable Team Jamaica Bickle initiative. Irwine was instrumental in the success of Trackstars before creating TJB. In the 1990s the Association was privileged to host and honor Principal Ruel Taylor, Vice Principal Jimmy Carnegie, Noel Mignott, Derryck Cox, Bruce Golding and Vinnie Hosang among other luminaries. This provides great historical context to the very distinguished honorees gracing our 20th anniversary event. In the late 1990s the Association formulated the JC 2000 Project, aimed at creating a 21st century technology platform at the school. Computers and peripherals were supplied to JC in this period. A large donation of 50 computers was enabled by Max Maxwell, an alumnus then teaching at the prestigious Lawrenceville School. The JCOBANY ethos of innovation fortunately survives today under the leadership of Dr. Dwight Williams in the re-formed Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York, Inc. In 2009 the Association launched the Patty Festival of America, highlighting the economic and cultural importance of this great Jamaican staple, recently voted the 3rd best street food in the World. We however, all know that it is THE best. Also in 2009 the Association began to address Jamaica’s deficiency in science education with even more applied innovation. JCOBANY got JC involved in Robotics Competitions run by US FIRST. This was done after we noted the tremendous excitement for science that robotics generated among students. We wanted this excitement for science to migrate to JC and Jamaica. Board Chairman Hon. Danny Williams and Principal Ruel Reid were both receptive to the idea of a JC Robotics Club. That’s how organized robotics in Jamaica started. One can read how this project is growing into a national robotics movement elsewhere in this publication. What of the future for JCOBANY? We can’t reveal the answer to that but whatever it is, it will be innovative. Fervet Opus in Campis Indeed 2 0
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It Takes
3 to Cello‌ write their own musical arrangements as well, due to a serious lack of cello trio repertoire. A few new pieces are being composed and commissioned from various composers specifically for the trio.
Suji Min and Gjilberta have been performing for the past two and a half years extensively in the TriState area of NY, NJ and Pennsylvania. They are highly accomplished musicians in their own fields, ranging from performing for the Pope John Paul II and winning concerto competitions and chamber music competitions worldwide. The three of them have been great friends for
Monticelli Trio performs extensively for a wide range of audiences, compiling but not limited to
various Corporation events, Charity Benefit Concerts, Sing For Hope, Public and Private Schools, NY Fashion Week etc.
many years, and one day they got together to play some new orchestra pieces and realized that each of them had a very different voice on the cellos. The orchestra pieces were pushed immediately aside and they started playing three-part harmony songs and various solo pieces. Soon they realized that they would have to play together more often and create a very uncommon trio. Consequently the Monticelli Trio was born. Since that wonderful day, they have created The Monticelli Trio with a vast repertoire of music ranging from Classical, Broadway, Tango, Pop, Rag, Jazz, Modern etc. Suji, MIn and Gjilberta
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They have performed in Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, NJPAC, Harvard Club, various Korean Society events, Albanian TV, Public Libraries and more. For more information about this fabulous group, visit their website @ www.monticellitrio.com.
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JAMAICA COLLEGE OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, INC.
National Anthems
United States of America
Jamaica Eternal Father, bless our land Guard us with Thy mighty hand Keep us free from evil powers Be our Light through countless hours To our leaders, Great Defender Grant true wisdom from above Justice, truth, be ours forever
O! say can you see by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly
Jamaica, land we love Jamaica, Jamaica Jamaica, land we love
streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting
Teach us true respect for all Stir response to duty's call Strengthen us, the weak, to cherish Give us vision, lest we perish Knowledge send us, Heavenly Father Grant true wisdom from above Justice, truth be ours forever Jamaica, land we love
in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Jamaica, Jamaica Jamaica, land we love
Jamaica College School Prayer Bless O, Lord this College. Create among us the spirit of comradeship and loyalty to one another. When we are called to rule, make us rule with ojustice. Drive away from us all ignorance and hardness of heart, 12
All things dishonorable and unclean. Build us up in body, mind and spirit Till we come to the stature of the perfect man, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Editorial & Acknowledgements It is with great pleasure that JCOBANY presents
the gate with this one, having started in early April.
this Souvenir Journal in recognition of our twenty
As usual, Alltime Printing tolerated our folly, deliv-
years of service. The Journal Committee congratu-
ering our product on time and under budget,
lates our distinguished and accomplished honorees,
Thanks once more Alltime.
Hon. R Danny Williams, Mr. Wayne Seaton, Mr. Kwame Dawes, Ms. Sabrina HoSang and our
As JCOBANY looks to the future and the next
keynote speaker, Principal Ruel Reid. We take par-
twenty years, we trust that the Association will con-
ticular pleasure in helping to document their con-
tinue to record its history of service through publi-
tributions to school, community and country.
cations such as this. We also hope that JCOBANY will have gatherings such as this to share it with.
Jamaica College has an extraordinarily rich history spanning more than two hundred years from its founding in 1795. JCOBANY’s history is a mere twenty years but in that period the Association has managed to make valuable contributions to JC, Jamaica and its host community in the United States. Our Journal provides a snapshot of this record of achievement. Behind these achievements are countless hours of selfless volunteer service performed at great sacrifice by a relatively small number of people. We salute this spirit of volunteerism
Enjoy. Journal Committee Please support those who supported us. Journal & Planning Committee Lowell Campbell Donovan Jones Eldon Lewis Kevin Moulton Dr. Dwight Williams Cover Design & Printing Alltime Printing
and wish it a long life in service to our cause. Many thanks to our advertisers for their support. Without you this Journal would still be just a nice
Typesetting & Mock-up Lowell Campbell
idea and not the worthwhile product it is.
Digitization Donovan Jones
To Alltime Printing, our long time and foundation
Book Signing Hosted by akashic books
partners in publications, this Journal marks a very happy reunion. JCOBANY has worked closely with Junior and Vinton since 1992 through several titles
Musical Repertoire Sponsored by Travel Wire Inc.
we have dreamed up over the years including Trackstars magazine. As usual we were late through 2 0
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JAMAICA COLLEGE OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, INC.
About the Awards The Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York is pleased to honor three very accomplished individuals who exemplify the standards of leadership, selfless service and excellence, which have been the hallmarks of Jamaica College (JC) for over 200 years.
PREVIOUS AWARDEES:
The Community Leadership Award celebrates and recognizes visionary leaders doing extraordinary work to strengthen their community. This year’s recipient of the Community Leadership Award is Ms. Sabrina HoSang, Chief Operating Officer of Caribbean Foods Delight.
Community Leadership Award:
Illustrious Service Award: Mr. Ruel Taylor, Former Principal of Jamaica College (1971-1993) and Chemistry Teacher (1964-1971).
• Mr. Vincent HoSang, OD; Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Bakery and Caribbean Food Delights. Mr. HoSang continues to be a perennial fixture and major benefactor in the Jamaican philanthropic community. Mr. HoSang is the father of Sabrina HoSang recipient of this years’ Community Leadership Award.
The Outstanding Alumnus Award honors and recognizes alumni who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their profession and deeply engaged in service to their community. The recipients of this year’s Outstanding Alumnus Awards are:
Distinguished Alumnus Award: • Jimmy Carnegie, renowned sports historian, author, educator, statistician, former Principal of GC Foster College and Vice Principal of Jamaica College. • Mr. Derryck Cox, OD, formerly Jamaica’s Chief Trade Commissioner for North America and Head of the Jamaica’s Economic Development Agency, & Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO). Mr. Cox is currently President of International Trade Promotion, Ltd. and Senior Consultant for the Caribbean Export Development Agency and FFF Associates, Inc. • Mr. Noel Mignott, OD, formerly Jamaica Tourist Board’s Deputy Director of Tourism, for North America with worldwide responsibility for the development and management of the JTB’s advertising and public relations strategies Mr. Mignott is currently the President and Chief executive Officer of the Portfolio Marketing Group (PM Group) in New York.
• Dr. Kwame Dawes, Emmy award winning poet, author, editor, musician and professor. • Mr. Wayne Seaton, Managing Director at Wells Fargo Securities and captain of industry. The Distinguished Alumnus Award: The Distinguished Alumnus Award honors alumni who have typified the Jamaica College tradition of excellence by their personal accomplishment, professional achievement, and exemplary contributions to society. The awardee must have also performed archetypal service for JC through cumulative contributions or by an extraordinary act or effort that advances the mission of the College. This year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award is entrepreneur and philanthropist, the Hon. R. Danny Williams.
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JAMAICA COLLEGE OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, INC.
Ms. Sabrina Antoinette HoSang Community Leadership Award abrina Antoinette HoSang is the second of Vincent and Jeanette HoSang’s four children. She was born in NY and received her formative education at Immaculate Conception School before entering Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York. After graduating from Byram Hills, Sabrina attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania and graduated with a B.Sc degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Management Information Systems. Strongly immersed in a Jamaican upbringing by her native born parents, Sabrina holds her Jamaican roots close at heart. Working with her parents in the family business during the summer and winter breaks from school prepared Sabrina for the opportunity to join Caribbean Food Delights in May 2001 as Director of Operations. She filled that position which she knew from the beginning held many responsibilities. Upon joining the company, Sabrina introduced the idea of Mr. & Mrs. Patty as mascots and toys for the children in the community. She had also revived the Patty Eating Contest and created a new eating contest: Bun and Cheese. In February 2006, she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Sabrina works with and oversees departments such as Production, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, Customer Service, Research and Development, Corporate Sponsorship, Accounting, Sales, Marketing, Public Relations, Food Safety & Security and other entities of the Company. She is also Logistics Manager of JerkQ’zine Caribbean Grille, a new franchise which was launched in 2006. Sabrina has been trained and certified in food safety courses such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Point), Advanced HACCP, Food Security, and a safety course in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). She became a Notary Public in December 2008. Sabrina has received many accolades since she has started working in the family business. To name a few: • Received Silver Award from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Roosevelt, NY on December 1 9, 2009 • Recognized as Business Woman of the Year for outstanding achievements as entrepreneur and business executive by Isaiah’s Temple of Mt. Hope SBC on August 22, 2008 • Received the Caribbean Gospel Music Outstanding Community Service Award for her contribution to the Caribbean community on June 1 , 2008 • Received Dynamic Woman Award by Assemblyman Nick Perry on May 22, 201 0
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The Women Celebrating Women Award of Excellence from the Progressive Democrats Political Association as a young corporate leader and a City Council Citation from former Council member, Yvette D. Clarke, now Congresswoman in March 2005. The Young, Gifted and Black Entrepreneur of the Year Award by The NetLinkz Group and recognized for her outstanding and dedicated service to the community by the Community Concerns Networks in 2006. The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) inducted her as a 2007 Business Visionary. Certificate of Appreciation for her generous support of the troops and civilians serving in Afghanistan from 2005-2006. In August 2007, the Consul General’s Award from the Jamaica Consulate for helping the less fortunate both in New York and Jamaica. New York State Assembly Citation from Assemblyman Carl Heastie for community service in October 2007. The Universal Peace Federation recognized her as an Ambassador for Peace in November 2007. City of New York Citation from Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of Brooklyn in December 2007 for being a model citizen and her continued support and aid of those in need. A proclamation from New York State Senate, John L. Sampson in August 2008 for exceptional service to the city and state of New York. City Council of New York Proclamation from Kendall Stewart, Council Member of 45th district in Brooklyn, New York for outstanding contribution to the city and community in December 2007. The Independent United Order of Mechanics, Tuscan Chapter honored Sabrina in November 2008 for her family’s vision and entrepreneurial spirit, her contribution to the American economy and people of the Caribbean Diaspora in the city of New York. Honored by Upscale Productions for tireless work, leadership and vision to the community in November 2008.
Sabrina intends to do her part to keep the business her parents started when they used to work with hand machines. She feels that it is important to continue the family business so that her parents’ success could be carried on for generations to come. She epitomizes the words of John Wooden who said, “Ability May Get You To The Top, But It Takes Character To Keep You There”. Sabrina hopes to inspire many young people to become leaders and entrepreneurs because she believes the children are our future.
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JAMAICA COLLEGE OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, INC.
Hon. R. Danvers Williams, O.J., C.D., Hon. LL.D., J.P., CLU Distinguished Alumnus Award Danvers (Danny) Williams has had a distinguished career in the life insurance industry spanning some 59 years. He is the Founder and Past President and Chief Executive Officer of Life of Jamaica Limited (now Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited), one of the largest life insurance companies in the West Indies.
R.
His involvement with the industry dates back to 1 953, when at the age of 1 8 years 9 months he joined North American Life Assurance Company, NALACO, as a salesman. Within 7 years, he was appointed Branch Manager for Jamaica and over the next decade, he guided the branch to the number one position in the company’s international network. A dedicated professional ment of his country and Danny Williams molded the Life of Jamaica Limited, He built the company that dynamic financial institu-
committed to the developwith a zest for challenges, branch as the nucleus for which he founded in 1 970. is today a respected and tion.
R. Danvers Williams is noted for his considerable service to the wider Jamaican community, which has earned him the national honours of Commander of the Order of Distinction (1 972) and the Order of Jamaica (1 993). He served the Government of Jamaica for three years from 1 977 to 1 980 as a Senator, Minister of State and Minister of Industry and Commerce respectively. He was in 2005 conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws (Hon) by the University of Technology. He has received many other honours and awards including the Observer Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Hall of Fame, the Caribbean Luminary Award by the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI), the Gleaner Honour Award for Voluntary Service, induction into the Caribbean Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CARIFA) Hall of Fame, the YEA Entrepreneurial Spirit Award by the Young Entrepreneurs Association and One of the 50 Living Legacy Award by the Caribbean Community for Retired Persons (CCRP). He was President of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf for 1 0 years and is still active in the work of that organization. He was also Chairman of the Jamaica Association for the Advancement of Literacy, JAMAL and the National Development Foundation of Jamaica as well as Vice President of the Jaycees of Jamaica and the West Indies Jaycees. Mr. Williams currently serves on the boards of several major Jamaican companies, Organizations and Foundations, including Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited. He is the Chairman of the Alkali Group, Ravers Limited, Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited, Virginia Dare (Jamaica) Limited, Irish Town, Redlight & Middleton Community Development Association Ltd., and the Jamaica College Foundation. 18
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Sagicor Financial Corporation wishes to recognize and thank the Hon. R. Danvers “Danny” Williams for his decades of significant contributions to Jamaica and Sagicor Life Jamaica. Danny’s leadership and business acumen has had, and continues to have, a profound positive impact on his fellow countrymen and the Jamaican economy. Congratulations on being selected as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award. Well deserved.
Wise Financial Thinking for Life
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Kwame Senu Neville Dawes Outstanding Alumnus Award Emmy-winning Jamaican Poet & Writer “The poet's language is vivid and visceral; his courage and honesty blaze a path in poem after poem. This is the music of survival and transcendence. Indeed, the poetry of Kwame Dawes makes the impossible possible.” —Martin Espada “Kwame Dawes is one of the most important writers of his generation who has built a mighty and lasting body of work...” — Elizabeth Alexander “Majestic is the word that comes to mind reading the finely wrought poems of Kwame Dawes...a sublime talent is needed to fashion poems of such capacious grace and energy." —Terrance Hayes
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orn in Ghana in 1962, Kwame Dawes spent most of his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica. He is a writer of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and plays. As a poet, he is profoundly influenced by the rhythms and textures of that lush place, citing in a recent interview his “spiritual, intellectual, and emotional engagement with reggae music.” Indeed, his book Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley. Of his sixteen collections of poetry, his most recent titles include Wheels (2011); Back of Mount Peace (2009); Hope's Hospice (2009); Wisteria, finalist for the Patterson Memorial Prize; Impossible Flying (2007); and Gomer's Song (2007). Progeny of Air (Peepal Tree, 1994) was the winner of the Forward Poetry Prize for Best First Collection in the UK. Other poetry collections include Resisting the Anomie (Goose Lane, 1995); Prophets (Peepal Tree, 1995); Jacko Jacobus, (Peepal Tree, 1996); and Requiem, (Peepal Tree. 1996), a suite of poems inspired by the illustrations of African American artist, Tom Feelings in his landmark book The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo; and Shook Foil (Peepal Tree, 1998), a collection
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of reggae-inspired poems. His book, Midland, was awarded the Hollis Summers Poetry Prize by the Ohio University Press (2001). In 2001, Dawes was a winner of a Pushcart Prize for the best American poetry of 2001 for his long poem, "Inheritance." Duppy Conqueror: New and Selected Poems will be released by Copper Canyon in early 2013. He has published two novels: Bivouac (2009) and She's Gone (2007, Akashic Books), winner of the 2008 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Best First Novel. In 2007 he released A Far Cry From Plymouth Rock: A Personal Narrative (Peepal Tree Books). His essays have appeared in numerous journals including Bomb Magazine, The London Review of Books, Granta, Essence, World Literature Today, and Double Take Magazine. Dawes is also the editor of three anthologies: Hold Me to an Island: Caribbean Place: An Anthology of Writing (with Jeremy Poynting, Caribbean Modern Classics, Peepal Tree Press, 2012), Home is Where: An Anthology of African American Poetry from the Carolinas (Hub City, 2011), and Red: Contemporary Black Poetry (Peepal Tree Press, 2010). In September 2009, Dawes won an Emmy for LiveHopeLove.com, an interactive site based on Kwame Dawes's Pulitzer Center project, HOPE: Living and loving with AIDS in Jamaica. It has won other accolades including a People's Voice Webby Award, and was the inspiration for the music/spoken word performance Wisteria & HOPE which premiered at the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina. In 2011, Dawes reported on HIV AIDS after the earthquake in Haiti and his poems, blogs, articles, and documentary work were a key part of the post-earthquake Haiti reporting by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting that won the National Press Club Joan Friedenberg Award for Online Journalism and most recently, the Poets and Writers Barnes and Nobles Writers for Writers Award. Dawes is an actor, playwright, and producer, an accomplished storyteller, broadcaster, and was the lead singer in Ujamaa, a reggae band. To date, he has seen produced fifteen of his plays; and he has acted in, directed or produced several of these productions, most recently a production of his musical, One Love, at the Lyric Hammersmith in London. Commissioned by Talawa, Britian's leading black theatre company, and inspired by Rogert Mais' classic novel Brotherman, One Love takes us to the heart of the Jamaican soul, as actors, dancers, singers, life musicians, and a DJ draw on influences such as Bob Marley and Lee "Scratch" Perry to tell this powerful parable of desire and denial. Through the years, Dawes has collaborated with musicians and artists to create a dynamic series of performances based on his poetry that have proven to be some of the most compelling and challenging presentations of poetry being performed today. Wisteria is a multimedia performance with composer Kevin Simmonds, who set the poems from Dawes’ book of the same name, to music. The result is an evening length performance that explores the life of women who lived through the Jim Crow period in Sumter, SC. Until July 2011, Dawes was Distinguished Poet in Residence, Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts and founder, and executive director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative. He was the director of the University of South Carolina Arts Institute and is the programming director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, which takes place in Jamaica in May of each year. Dawes is currently the Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska, where he is a Chancellor's Professor of English, a faculty member of Cave Canem, and a teacher in the Pacific MFA Program in Oregon. Kwame Dawes was educated at Jamaica College, and received his BA (Honors) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and his Ph.D. at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. Dawes is a regular blogger for the Poetry Foundation; his blogs can be read at www.poetryfoundation.org. His official website is @www.kwamedawes.com.
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Mr. Wayne Andrew Seaton Outstanding Alumnus Award Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, City of Atlanta, City of New York, City of St. Louis and State of Connecticut.
ayne Seaton is a Managing Director and head of Sustainable Public Infrastructure within Public Finance at Wells Fargo Securities. He has more than 1 8 years of experience assisting major municipal issuers with infrastructure financings and has served as a lead banker for more than $1 5 billion in transactions, including some of the largest and most complex capital programs in the nation.
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Prior to joining Wells Fargo Securities, Mr. Seaton was head of Public Finance for a boutique investment banking firm. He is a registered general securities principal and municipal securities principal and holds his Series 7, 24, 53, and 63 classifications.
Mr. Seaton’s team at Wells Fargo has five professionals with over 60 years of combined public finance experience and is the first formalized unit of its kind within the investment banking public finance industry. The group has a nationwide mandate to assist municipalities with financing projects designed to use energy more efficiently, including renewable technologies such as solar or wind. Mr. Seaton has been at the forefront of developing and implementing financing solutions utilizing municipal sale-leaseback retrofits, Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds and New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds. He recently was lead banker for an innovative financing for Morris County Improvement Authority that to date is the largest bond offering for a municipal distributed generation solar project in the State of New Jersey. In his career, Mr. Seaton has served as lead banker to major clients such as the District of
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He is actively involved with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Financial Advisory Board, Municipal Forum of New York, National Association of Securities Professionals, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). Mr. Seaton obtained an A.B. degree in Sociology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and an M.B.A in finance and international business from Columbia Business School in New York. He is also an alumnus of Jamaica College, where he received his O’Levels and CXC certifications.
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JC's Golden Griffins Third In Tech Challenge Published: Friday | March 23, 201 2 Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporte his was the third time JC was entering the competition, held on March 1 6 and 1 7 at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre in Manhattan, New York. Last year, the team finished 1 2th. JC was the only representative from outside the US.
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"It definitely feels good because, after putting in all that hard work, you find you have something to show for it," said a beaming Gavin Samuels, captain of the team. The competition was divided into two divisions of 36 teams each. Two-team alliances work together to score points and win matches. The JC team's alliances won four of the five matches in the initial round, placing eighth. One of the top four teams picked them to be their partner in the semi-final, which they won, propelling them to the division finals. They, however, lost by three points. JC finished second in its division and third in the overall competition. Samuels said the key this year was coordination. "This year, by far, we definitely worked better as a team. For example, something was left behind and the way the team came together to ensure it reached before the competition was marvellous," he said. Georgia Rudolph, one of the three teachers who accompanied the 1 2 boys, was proud of the result. "Working within the time constraints ... the boys have done extremely well," she said. "They went and saw other robots that they thought would beat them, but we got them calm and they just went out there and really made us proud." She noted that the US teams had already gone through two rounds of competition, so they lacked experience. A lack of networking with other teams before the competition is another area she feels they can improve on. "We have set up a Facebook page and we'll be liaising with other teams for next year," she said. They will also be entering the junior competition, the First Lego League (FLL), next year. "We saw them make different attachments for their robots, so we need to work on that for FLL. It looked a little easy, so I think we can win," said junior member Sage Michael Brown. JC will also be returning 1 0 members of the team for next year, increasing the hope that they will go a step further next time. Rudolph said the team will continue working, honing the skills of the younger boys. "Even though everybody was not involved in the actual making of the competition robot, everyone will get their opportunity to explore." But what about 'Griffin', the robot they used this year? Well, according to Ricardo Anderson, another faculty team member, they have plans for him. There's a WorldSkills Challenge they're thinking about entering plus there's a 'fun project' of marking out the lines on the school's football field. "We have to keep it (the interest) going for the year so that, when the competition comes around again in January, we'll be ready. We can't go anywhere but up, so the expectations are now very high." He said he 24
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The Jamaica College (JC) robotics team, the Golden Griffins, and their teachers, show off their medals after placing third overall in the FIRST Tech challenge robotics competition in New York last week. JC was the only team from outside the United States of America to enter the competition. - Ian Allen/Photographer
people in discovering the excitement and rewards of science and technology.
expected a "flood of boys" will want to be part of the programme now, based on the feedback they have been receiving.
daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1 989 by American inventor Dean Kamen to assist young
Article republished with permission from the Gleaner Company Limited. All Rights Reserved
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Digital Yard Robotics Engineering a New Jamaica – One School at a Time The Digital Yard Innovation Project presents a vision of a future Jamaica where our children have developed a culture of fascination for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The execution model relies on cooperation between the tertiary, secondary and primary sectors allied with public/private partnerships. JCOBA-NY is a founding partner in the Project. To jump-start the capacity building process, in 2009-2011 Digital Yard team member Erica Simmons arranged the donation of US$150m in Siemens Computer Aided Design and Engineering software to the University of Technology and Northern Caribbean University. This is the largest ever donation to Jamaica’s education system. The goal is to enable proficiency in this cutting edge technology by students throughout the system. The Digital Yard Tech Challenge, our robotics competition, will be operated and hosted by UTech, our Academic Partner. This is the first of a series of programs combining STEM skills and competition. The Tech Challenge will utilize robots that school children design, build and program. The mission is to get children as excited about science and technology as they are about sports. The successful JC robotics program is the national model on which the Tech Challenge is designed. Many secondary schools have indicated excitement about participating and their orientation in how to operate a robotics club and effectively compete is underway. Students from the UTech Faculty of Engineering and Computing are conducting the orientation with each school assigned a tech mentor.
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Target Group: • Secondary School students What • Robotics Competition with mentoring from UTECH Faculty of Engineering students Goal: • Design and build of robot to enter the March 2013 Robotics Competition and annually thereafter Success Factor: • Collaborative design and build of Robots Why Robotics? Robotics requires many disciplines that are integral to the development of valuable technical skills: • Cooperative Teamwork • Math & Software Proficiency • Computer Programming • Construction Design • Mechanical Engineering • Electrical Engineering • Electronic Engineering • Research • Problem Solving • Critical Thinking These skills are learned by students participating in robotics while they are experiencing the tremendous fun and excitement of creating intelligent machines - to compete against other students and rival schools.
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EXPECTED OUTCOMES Research in the United States indicates the following outcomes for students participating in Digital Yard Tech Challenge type robotics competitions compared to a control group of academically similar students not involved in robotics. Robotics students are: • More than 3 times as likely to major in engineering in college • Roughly 10 times as likely to have had an apprenticeship or internship job in their freshman year • Significantly more likely to expect to achieve a postgraduate degree. • More than twice as likely to expect to pursue a career in science and technology • Nearly 4 times as likely to expect to pursue a career specifically in engineering • More than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities SUCCESS METRICS • Increased numbers of students choosing science, technology and engineering studies and careers • Businesses started or enhanced by our students • Siemens Computer Aided Design Industry certification of our students. • Raising of the technical skill level of youth motivated by our programs. • Increased levels of productivity and wealth generation. To achieve these nation-building goals Digital Yard is actively seeking new partnerships with schools, alumni associations, not-for-profits, foundations, industry and government. The Digital Yard Foundation based in Jamaica is in formation for an expected September 2012 start up. For more information on Digital Yard programs and how you can assist please email: digitalyard@live.com
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His Excellency Raymond Osbourne Wolfe Old Boy Spotlight aymond Osbourne Wolfe was appointed Ambassador of Jamaica and Permanent Representative
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to the United Nations on June 1 3, 2006. Prior to his appointment, since 2003, Wolfe was
Under-Secretary for Multilateral Affairs at his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign
Trade from 2003 until his appointment. From 1 998 to 2003, he was Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, and for several years before that he held consecutive senior positions in the Foreign Ministry, including as Director of the European Affairs Department and Director of the Africa, Asia and Pacific Affairs Department. Wolfe joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 1 973. In is early diplomatic career; he was posted in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1 977-1 981 ), at the United Nations Headquarters in New York (1 984-1 990), in Nigeria (1 9901 992) and in Japan (1 992-1 994).
In 1 973 he graduated from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Science in International Relations with a focus on comparative politics, international politics, international economic relations, government and politics of the West Indies. He also holds a diploma in international relations from the Foreign Service Officers’ Training Course in Canberra, Australia, and has completed a Commonwealth Executive Programme in public management at the Executive Education Centre of the Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto, Canada.
Ambassador Wolfe is married to and has two children.
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A Complex And Sincere Gratitude: A Product Of Jamaica College Reflects By Kwame Dawes I meet many people who remember their high school years as some of the most painful and difficult times in their lives. Many do not want to remember those years. They hated school and they hate the memory of that time. They were happy to graduate, and even now, when they see friends from their old school days, they feel nothing but discomfort and revulsion. The curious thing is that I understand those feelings. I do because despite the fact that my seven years at Jamaica College leave me with a good and powerful sense of the value of the experiences I had there, I know many of my friends and schoolmates who harbor less than warm feelings about the College, for good reasons. For all the benefits of being at JC, there were problems, problems of class, of poor teaching, of unfairness, and problems that came from the larger problems of Jamaican society. There was abuse, and there were things in retrospect that strike me as almost criminal—things that were allowed. You will all recall that bullying, that thing we euphemistically called “singing” was enshrined in our life as students. People suffered from these things. The homophobia that we are known for (even if not properly understood) existed at JC—boys were not just teased, but bullied and beaten because they were either suspected to be gay or were actually gay. These realities existed. School was sometimes hard academically, challenging, even. Sometimes we had teachers who did not have much of a clue of what they were doing. Very often the best teachers were never assigned to the lower academic streams. Our system of determining one’s professional future at age fourteen was in so many ways a damaging and misguided practice. Merely because of one term of poor grades in third form, it was concluded that I could never have an occupation in the sciences. While I had no great regrets about this, I know so many of my friends who were pushed into fields that they really were not suited for, nor did they have the inclination or genuine desire to pursue, nor the maturity to decide. My point is, as I think of my years at Jamaica College, the sense of goodwill, appreciation and warm regard that I feel does not emerge out of rank idealism or out of a desire to sugar coat those things that were negative. On the contrary, I have strong memories of JC, some more positive than others, but my overwhelming sense is that I would not trade that period for anything else. I see those years as constituting an important foundation for my future life. Perhaps there were specific things that made being a boy at JC such a positive time for me. And for me this is quite personal. Being an artist and having the chance to take art classes and to spend hours outside drawing and painting, and being affirmed for the work I did, made me want to go to school in the morning. Cricket was everything to me for a long time. I wanted to play, I learnt how to deal with almost an entire season of making ducks and still recover years after to be selected for the National Youth Trials. For all its problems and peculiarities, my seven years as a cadet taught me a great deal about leadership, about resisting group speak and the madness of peer pressure, and about laughing at the cruelties we all inflicted on each other. I stayed a cadet because I was promoted through the ranks. I enjoyed my academic experience at JC. I enjoyed the business of learning things I did not know. I enjoyed what many of the best teachers did in making me understand the history of Europe and the history of the West Indies; I enjoyed studying West Indian literature and Shakespeare; and when I became a sixth former, I enjoyed the privileges that came with being a leader in the school. We laughed a lot as boys. We laughed at each other, we teased, we gave each other nicknames, and we laughed a lot. Belly hurting laughter. Tear jerking laughter. Laughter that made us run around holding our sides, trying to shake off the mirth. The humor was sometimes brilliant. Describing a fellow cricketer’s unfortunately short pants, as being “short of a length a rising”, was genius banter, horrendous and merciless teasing and the source for much laughter. Calling a man “Last Night” or “Tippa” or calling a teacher “Perch” or “Bushy” was puerile, cruel, and yet imagContinue on page 41
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Pat Chin and VP Records
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FUTURE MOVE M E NT RADIO Congratulates the JCOBANY for 20 years of good works and the honorees for their exemplary accomplishments and service.
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Salutes
Sabrina Hosang AFUWI Sponsor
Wayne Seaton
AFUWI Vice Chancellor Awardee - Class of 2007 & Board Director
R ' D a n n y' W i l l i a m s
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Congratulations to the JCOBANY on its 20th Anniversary & Awards Banquet “Fervet Opus in Campis”
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Conversation with Kwame JCOBA: Kwame, congratulations on being honored by your peers as an Outstanding Alumnus of Jamaica College (JC). This is a well-deserved recognition. What does this award mean to you? KWAME: It is an odd award because in many ways I regard the guys I went to JC with as a remarkable group of accomplished individuals, and so for peers to single me out feels like being selected for the first colts eleven or even to captain Musgrave's cricket team. In other words, it is an honor, and one that I will cherish greatly.
office in tears. Mr. Hazle rounded us up, and quite generously, I think, asked each of us how many lashes we thought we deserved for this behavior. My colleagues calculated that Mr. Hazle was going to cane us anyway, and so they began to give their numbers. If the number seemed especially low to Mr Hazle, he would bark out in disbelief until the number went up. This was fifth form, and I figured that through the genius of my rhetoric I had escaped multiple lashings and I was not about to destroy my record at this stage in my school career. So when it came around to me, I simply said, "None, sir." And when Mr. Hazle barked, JCOBA: What are some of your fondest memories "What?", I repeated, "None, sir." For you see, I realof JC? ized that without a pleas of not-guilty, I would not be KWAME: Laughter. A lot of laughter! able to make a case for myself, and I The jokes, the practical ones and those thought this type of kangaroo justice of wit; the legends, invented and real; that Mr. Hazle was carrying was the tragic sadness of losing the unfair. Predictably, he asked me why. Manning Cup finals, and the subseThat was his mistake. I proceeded to quent elation of winning the Manning speak with the most profound and Cup finals the next year; watching insightful empathy for Ms. Brown, Shenk (Luke Whitney) living up to his that at one point I heard her delicate nickname "The God" on the field; voice offer, "Dawes was not so bad, nicknames; amazing teachers and horMr. Hazle, he really wasn't." Whether rendous teachers; traditions, the laudher serving as witness on my behalf able and the ridiculous; and what was was prompted by her growing squeamobviously a sound and exemplary eduish at the carnage that was about to cation. I liked going to school. I realŠ Rachel Eliza Griffiths take place, or whether she was simply so impressed ly did. That says something. with my capacity to understand and appreciate why JCOBA: What was your nickname at JC and how she would flee to the vice principal's office in tears, I did it come about? will never know. What I do know is that Mr Hazle, KWAME: Because my name is Kwame, it seemed clearly impressed by my gumption, and a little impaalmost redundant to give me a nickname. For a long tient with my verbosity simple sent me back to the time, I was called Lickle Kojo because of my older classroom. The other lads, as far as I know, got caned. brother Kojo who was at JC before me. Sometime in Many will deny the veracity of this story, but they are fifth form, I think, one of my schoolmates (Robert all liars, everyone of them. Davis aka "Bird" for a really hilarious reason) thought JCOBA: Do you have any confessions to make it inappropriate for me not to have a nickname, so I got about a prank you pulled or any mischievous acts tagged with the rather unimaginative name "Kunju that you got away with while at JC? Murunju" -- a rather crude (though I am sure it was KWAME: Well, on the matter of Ms. Brown, I confess, lovingly meant) allusion to my Africanness. But mostI was not as innocent as I managed to convince her I ly, it was Dawes. Just plain old Dawes! was. JCOBA: Tell us about a time when you got into JCOBA: Who was your favorite teacher and why? some real trouble at JC and the resultant conseKWAME: There were quite a few, actually. Mrs. quence(s)? Sobers for her gumption, her no-nonsense manner and KWAME: Our fifth form French class was not her intense passion for both Maths and History. She extremely welcoming to a young recent graduate of was amazing. Ms. Roper (Georgette), largely because UWI, Ms. Brown, who was given the task to teach us of what she looked like (that afro was startling), but how to speak and write French. Things got completely mostly because she made me love Spanish, a passion out of hand one day and she fled to the Vice Principal's 38
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that has not left me. Mrs. Scarlett who was for a long school. It was a place of elitism and no small amount time my art teacher, who was so encouraging. She was of racism during much of its history, but it was a place, so cool, so much above the fray and she was good. Had when I was there, that was challenging those norms I known her brother was Michael Holding at the time, and values. In the seventies, as Jamaica was changing, I would have built a shrine for her. Mr. Bob-Semple, and coming to an understanding of its history, so was with his wonderfully moderated benign neglect for us, JC. I am glad to have been a part of that. and his capacity to make the love of literature okay for JCOBA: How did you discover your passion for a bunch of boys in sixth form, is probably most responwriting? sible for my career as an academic and a writer. I KWAME: I discovered writing by reading. I found remain quite grateful to him for bringing in that book pleasure in reading. Intellectual pleasure, the vicarious of photographs illustrating pleasure of entering someone Gerard Manley Hopkins' else's imagination, and the “JC taught me how to think, how to poetry just when we began to pleasure of transportation; argue, how to make a good joke of sophisdespair of sprung rhythm. the capacity to enter another tication and wit, and how to fight back There were others, Mr. Mills, world far outside of my own. Dennis Scott, and on and on. either with fists, stones, and if those were I simply wanted to be a part We had good teachers. And if not prudent, with the tongue.” of making that pleasure hapthey were not good, they pen for others. But I was were at least entertaining. writing letters, lots of letters to penpals for much of my JCOBA: What extra-curricular activities were you involved in? KWAME: I was a cadet for six years. I played cricket at all levels and even coached while still at JC. I fooled around with drama. I was a chartered non-playing member of S.O.R.R.O.W. And for quite a few years while I was not a member of Inter Schools Christian fellowship, I was quite clearly the target of their proselytizing efforts—I almost felt a part of them. I became a committed Christian on the quiet in sixth form. I think it shocked many of them.
teen years. I was using language to persuade, to seduce, to move. I learned early on that language was powerful, and so to move from there to writing only made sense. JCOBA: What advice or words of wisdom do you have for the students at JC today? KWAME: My advice would be the same as I would give to any youngster who is entering that age of discovery that marked the career of a JC boy. Try things. Read. Read again and again! Treat people right. Be generous. Remember that you are following decades and decades of traditions and those traditions exist for a reason. Don't wait for others to make things happen if you think they should happen. You are it. Finally, don't lock yourself in a box that others create for you - you have choices, you can redefine yourself. Stay loose and keep your eyes open.
JCOBA: How has JC influenced your career path and your life in general? KWAME: I learnt a great deal about leadership at JC both by watching other boys lead and learning the politics of leadership from these boys. I also learned to lead by leading. I learnt what my weaknesses are as a leader, but I also learned what my strengths are. JC had challenges, and it would have been easy to blame the school for some of the things we did not have or do, but we were surrounded by people who still had the notion that teacher was a noble thing. JC has a proud history of great people who attended that
JCOBA: Thanks Kwame for this vividly nostalgic reflection of your days at JC and for your wise words of advice for the current cohort of youngsters. Fervet.
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Conversation with Wayne JCOBA: Wayne, congratulations on being honored by your peers as an Outstanding Alumnus of Jamaica College (JC). This is a well-deserved recognition. What does this award mean to you? WAYNE: Jamaica College has a rich tradition of excellence and many great past students who have become leaders in business, diplomacy, law, politics, medicine, music, science, the arts – the list goes on and on. Being recognized as an outstanding alumnus is a great honor. This award is very meaningful to me.
“When I was at JC we always believed we were the best high school in the country. While some of us were not the best students, in general, each of us believed we were the best at something. Developing this level of self-confidence as a JC boy has enabled me to meet challenges in both my career and life.” school under the supervision of a teacher). I was embarrassed because my mother was Head of the Science Department and my father had taught Religious Education at the school for a number of years. I did not want them to find out.
JCOBA: What are some of your fondest memories of JC? WAYNE: Assembly; field trips; playing football (usually in a pick-up scrimmage) three to four times a day; playing piano at my class graduation ceremony; saying the school prayer; the house system for its camaraderie, competitiveness and tradition; wearing the distinctive blue uniform.
JCOBA: Do you have any confessions to make about a prank you pulled or any mischievous acts that you got away with while at JC? WAYNE: I think once in Chemistry class a group of us dropped some sulfuric acid down the drain before we left the lab for the evening…but then again, I am not confessing to anything
JCOBA: What was your nickname at JC and how did it come about? WAYNE: My nickname was “Pee Wee”. As a first former, I think I was about four feet, eight inches tall. At the time I believe I was the second shortest student in the entire school and certainly the one who weighed the least. All of my classmates seemed to experience growth spurts before I did. Eventually I grew to the point where I was no longer one of the shortest, but in true Jamaica College fashion, the nickname stuck.
JCOBA: Who was your favorite teacher and why? WAYNE: Mr. Gayle, who taught Religious Education to us in first form. He was passionate about a subject that most of us really did not care about, and was the first teacher I had that effectively used imagery to make his students visualize concepts. I wish I still had some of the pictures he had me draw to depict Bible stories…the memories will have to suffice.
JCOBA: Tell us about a time when you got into some real trouble at JC and the resultant consequence(s)? WAYNE: I really did not get into serious trouble but I remember getting caught once trying to cut afternoon classes so I could see a Bruce Lee matinee at Carib Theatre. The trick was to walk through the gates at lunchtime and pretend you were going down the street to buy lunch. When the bus came, you would jump on the bus and be home free. I forgot how I got caught, but the end result for me was Detention (I had to stay after 42
JCOBA: What extra-curricular activities were you involved in? WAYNE: Music (piano & violin); intramural sports with extremely limited success. JCOBA: How has JC influenced your career path and your life in general? WAYNE: When I was at JC we always believed we were the best high school in the country. While some of us were not the best students, in general, each of us believed we were the best at something. Developing this level of self-confidence as a JC boy has enabled me to meet challenges in 2 0
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from textbooks. Respect the rich history and traditions of the school and seize the responsibility you have to carry the torch for those who come after you.
both my career and life. JCOBA: What advice or words of wisdom do you have for the students at JC today? WAYNE: Realize that your teachers care about preparing young men to be tomorrow’s leaders. Take the time to get to know your classmates and learn from them - learning does not only come
“A Complex And Sincere Gratitude: A Product Of Jamaica College Reflects”
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JCOBA: Thanks Wayne for sharing your memories of JC and for being an inspiration to us all. We are very proud of you. Fervet!
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inative and funny. There were the triumphs—consuming triumphs that taught me what pure joy was, what victory was—our success at School’s Challenge, the year we won Manning Cup, the year we went to the Sunlight Cup Finals, the year Dave Hazle won a gold medal for class one hurdles at Champs, the goal that Shenk, the great Luke Whitney scored from the half line—those were beautiful defining experiences. And there were heartbreaks that taught us how to lose—perhaps for some of us, taught us too well how to cope with losing. When we lost the Manning Cup finals in 1975, or when we found ourselves for years incapable of replicating the sporting prowess of the old Jamaica College; or when we lost cricket matches across the island, and found ways to laugh at ourselves on the bus back home, we learnt how to lose. These ideas may seem completely random. They clearly represent elements of school life that may have kept me coming to school with pleasure and positive anticipation. And even though some of the most defining wounds in my life happened at JC, for instance, I have learned that despite what seem like random matters, that what makes Jamaica College so important to me is that it was a school with a long and illustrious tradition. It was school that I could say I was proud of. It was a school that had a history that we knew helped us to see ourselves as having a place in the fabric of Jamaican society. It is impossible to calculate the extent to which that sense of being from a school that has such a long tradition in Jamaican society, even when it is a school that may have had its challenges and problems, but I have a strong sense that the benefits of that tradition have been important to the lives of so many JC men. In the 1970s, the vestiges of the old elite school still existed, but the school was changing. The new mandate of free education was changing the demographics of the College, and in so doing was making the school begin to assume responsibility for the wider population of Jamaican society. To do that, the school had to change, and we saw the early days of those changing pains. They were changes that I believe have made the school a stronger school. And anyway, the changes were necessary. I always dreamed that I would stay deeply involved with JC during my adulthood. For years after graduation I coached the Sunlight team and I even taught part-time at the school. I expected to play in the Old Boy cricket games in my thirties and forties, but those years passed while I was living in the US. I have missed a great deal of what it means to be a JC Old Boy—at least in the way that I experienced most Old Boys while I was student. But I hope that in another way, the tradition I remember of knowing the names of some of the famous JC Old Boys, and the way that knowledge make me feel proud and a part of a great tradition, and the way that knowledge inspired me to want to be successful as well, operates for those boys who are at JC now when they learn of me and the work that I have done over the years. I am as interested in being a JC Old Boy who has done good as I am being the source of pride for my family and my country. When people ask me why I am a writer, I find myself returning to JC, to my sixth form years, to my teachers, to the books I read in the library, to explain why I did become a writer. I am grateful for the models of heroism, skill, faith, manhood, that other boys gave to me at JC. I am proud to be a JC man. Proud and deeply grateful for what that has meant to my life. 2 0
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Best Wishes from Ken Williams CEO, and Staff of CVM Radio- HOT 102 FM Jamaica... Working toward a stronger association between Jamaican Media & the Diaspora
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Congratulations to the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York
on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary and to all the Honorees. Sabrina Hosang - Community Award Hon. R. Danny Williams - Distinguished Alumnus Wayne Seaton - Outstanding Alumnus Kwame Dawes - Outstanding Alumnus Michael Flanigan, Class of ‘71
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