UVI To Host Candidate VI Senatorial Forum On St. Croix In October

The Student Government Association, Golden Key International Honor Society and Student Activities will host the St. Croix VI Senatorial Forum, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Great Hall on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, UVI has made known.

According to the institution of higher learning, the senatorial forum is being held in advance of the upcoming Virgin Islands elections in November 2016, to allow candidates and the constituents they serve the opportunity to come together to hear, learn and understand from each other. During these moderator-led events, each candidate seeking office as senator will have the opportunity to make a brief presentation about their platform and respond to questions posed by the moderator as well as members of the audience.

The forums are open internally to the UVI community and externally to the larger Virgin Islands population. The goal is to aid voters in making an informed decision as to whom they wish to elect or re-elect.  After the forum, there will be a “Meet-N-Greet Social” for students and candidates from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at [email protected].

 In other UVI news, the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) will host the 13th annual Voices That Count (VTC) policy forum on Oct. 11, on the St. Thomas Campus and Oct. 13, on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. Both forums will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Voices That Count policy forums will bring together people with disabilities, members from the legislative branches of the Virgin Islands’ government, and the community – advocates, caregivers, family members, private businesses, and organizations – to address the challenges and issues faced by persons with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Nothing About Us, Without Us.”

“With joint community partnerships, VTC ensures that the voices of people with disabilities, advocates, caregivers, and family members are heard and that the Virgin Islands community and policy makers gain an understanding of the issues and barriers people with disabilities face daily,” said Shamika Thomas, VIUCEDD program coordinator for Research and Community Engagement.

Registration for the forums is now open at http://viucedd.org/. VIUCEED encourages the community to attend and meet the candidates of the Legislative Branches to discuss and address the many challenges imposed on persons with disabilities. Discussions will be centered on improvements to the quality of life for people with disabilities in the Virgin Islands. Senatorial and Delegate to Congress candidates will respond to questions developed and posed to them by members of the territory’s disability community.

Feature Image: Aerial view of UVI, St. Croix. (Credit: ALYK)