Post by Josette Martin.
SHEONAE GRANT of St. Thomas, Jamaica : Law Student at UWI-Mona with 4.0/4.0 GPA....President of the inter-school fellowship, member of 4 major teams Volunteers at Bustamante Children Hospital 18 CXC/CAPE passes with 15 distinctions (15 ones)....2014-15 PALAS TOP PERFORMERS STORY (5 of 5)
SHEONAE GRANT of St. Thomas, Jamaica : Law Student at UWI-Mona with 4.0/4.0 GPA... President of the inter-school fellowship, member of 4 major teams Volunteers at Bustamante Children Hospital 18 CXC/CAPE passes with 15 distinctions (15 ones). She attained 27.3 out of a possible 30 points on the PALAS evalution of her application package.
Below she writes in her essay to PALAS...
I attend the prestigious University of West Indies-Mona. It was a realization of mine that life could be tracked by a series of numbers from date of birth to the tax registration number. It was frightening that one’s legacy could be reduced to numbers on documents. However, I am challenged by the words of Marcus Garvey: “Whatsoever things common to man, that man has done, man can do”. Great people of history, like Nelson Mandela, have ‘done’ so then I too can ‘do’. Therefore I posit the idea that I, Shéonae Grant, am the ideal representative for what any recipient of the prestigious 2014 PALAS Scholarship should possess: a zeal for academic excellence driven by unyielding dedication.
As a Christian, I am guided by the scripture, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (1 Peter 4:10). With this in mind, I perform the duties of Deputy Head Girl, president of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship of Wolmer’s and Treasurer of my church’s Youth Department. I volunteered my time at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital where I engaged patients whose parents could not be present. I am a member of the Volleyball team, Debating Society, Science Club and Peer Counseling Body. In all this I learned how satisfying servitude could be, the art of patience and selflessness which helped me to develop qualities like being diligent, humble and teachable.
I aspire to be a lawyer because I have a passion for the administration of justice and equality for all who seek it. I became aware of issues concerning equality for persons with disabilities. I admire the law profession for the incredible platform it would allow me to influence necessary legislative reform in this particular area since the last National Policy on Disabilities was passed in 1999. I intend to press for a greater sensitization towards persons living with disabilities. This would be my first contribution towards helping Jamaica attain sustainable development. more
Below she writes in her essay to PALAS...
I attend the prestigious University of West Indies-Mona. It was a realization of mine that life could be tracked by a series of numbers from date of birth to the tax registration number. It was frightening that one’s legacy could be reduced to numbers on documents. However, I am challenged by the words of Marcus Garvey: “Whatsoever things common to man, that man has done, man can do”. Great people of history, like Nelson Mandela, have ‘done’ so then I too can ‘do’. Therefore I posit the idea that I, Shéonae Grant, am the ideal representative for what any recipient of the prestigious 2014 PALAS Scholarship should possess: a zeal for academic excellence driven by unyielding dedication.As a Christian, I am guided by the scripture, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (1 Peter 4:10). With this in mind, I perform the duties of Deputy Head Girl, president of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship of Wolmer’s and Treasurer of my church’s Youth Department. I volunteered my time at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital where I engaged patients whose parents could not be present. I am a member of the Volleyball team, Debating Society, Science Club and Peer Counseling Body. In all this I learned how satisfying servitude could be, the art of patience and selflessness which helped me to develop qualities like being diligent, humble and teachable.
I aspire to be a lawyer because I have a passion for the administration of justice and equality for all who seek it. I became aware of issues concerning equality for persons with disabilities. I admire the law profession for the incredible platform it would allow me to influence necessary legislative reform in this particular area since the last National Policy on Disabilities was passed in 1999. I intend to press for a greater sensitization towards persons living with disabilities. This would be my first contribution towards helping Jamaica attain sustainable development. more
World Junior Champs: Michael O’Hara on track for medal in 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships after easily winning his semi-final heat in a new personal best 20.45 seconds
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| Michael O'Hara |
PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com Friday, July 25, 2014 | 1:34 AM
EUGENE, USA -- Michael O’Hara stayed on course to be the third Jamaican man to win a medal in the 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships after easily winning his semi-final heat in a new personal best 20.45 seconds (1.4m/s) Thursday evening on the third day of the Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The final is set for Friday evening.
O’Hara beat Nigeria’s Ejowvokohene Divine Odudru (20.66) seconds and Cuba’s Reynier Mena, a bronze medalist behind O’Hara at last year’s World Youth Championships where the Jamaican struck gold.
It was the end of the road for the other Jamaican Jevaughn Minzie after he ran 20.77 seconds for fifth place in his semi-final won by Great Britain’s Thomas Somers- 20.37 seconds (1.9m/s) and Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes- 20.38 seconds, both of whom also advanced to the final.
Meanwhile, both Jamaican women’s 400m runners Tifanny James and Yanique McNeil failed to make it to Friday’s finals; James was a gallant third in her semi-final in 54.06 seconds while McNeil who advanced as one of the fastest losers on Wednesday, was sixth in 54.98 seconds in her heat. Source Jamaica Observer
Falmouth, JAMAICA: Pregnant cop, 35 y-o Camile Spencer dies on job....Colleagues mourn sudden death of cop. "She was a fun-loving person, very kind. She was one of the persons who always kept the office happy. She has gone too soon; that's all I can say," added the police inspector.
BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com Friday, July 25, 2014
FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The sudden death of a pregnant policewoman, who collapsed while on the job yesterday, has left her colleagues here in western Jamaica in mourning.
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| Camile Spencer |
The Jamaica Observer learnt that the policewoman — Detective Constable Camile Spencer, 35 — who was three months pregnant, in recent days complained of shortness of breath. The detective's condition, a police source said, worsened during the wee hours of yesterday while she was on duty at the Falmouth Police Station. She was taken to the nearby Falmouth Public General Hospital where she was pronounced dead about 6:20 am.
Spencer, who enlisted in the Jamaica Constabulary Force 10 years ago, was assigned to the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) in Area One (western parishes).
A distraught Inspector Radcliffe Solan, head of the Area One MIT, said Constable Spencer's sudden death has sent shockwaves, not only throughout the MIT, but also the entire Police Area One.
"It is a very sad situation. Members of staff are in deep mourning. Nobody expected this," said Inspector Solan. "She was a fun-loving person, very kind. She was one of the persons who always kept the office happy. She has gone too soon; that's all I can say," added the police inspector.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Woman Constable Collette Reynolds, who is assigned to the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station, where Detective Spencer previously worked.
Reynolds told the Observer that when she last saw Spencer on Tuesday, when the detective attended the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate's Court, she complained of not feeling well.
"We are very devastated at this time," said Reynolds, as tears rolled down her face. more
WEST BANK RISES: Several Thousand Demonstrate In West Bank... Israeli Soldiers Shoot And Kill At Least 1 Palestinian Protester... 200 Wounded...
Amid the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, the West Bank has risen.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians marched with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement from the West Bank city of Ramallah toward Jerusalem to protest Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of nearly 800 Palestinians, many of them civilians.
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| Thousands protest Israeli brutality |
Reuters reported that protests also broke out in Jerusalem itself, near the old walled city and outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. more
Usain Bolt blasts officials for reducing Tyson Gay's doping ban fter he tested positive for an anabolic steroid last year..."I'm not really happy with the situation and with how it was done,"
Thursday, July 24, 2014
GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC) — Sprint super star Usain Bolt has criticised anti-doping officials for reducing Tyson Gay's doping ban after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid last year.
Gay and Bolt's fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, both 31, failed drug tests for oxilofrine, in July 2013.
Gay was given a one-year ban and Powell was initially suspended for 18 months.
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| BOLT… you are pretty much telling people that this is a way out, it's a way of beating the system |
"I'm not really happy with the situation and with how it was done," Bolt said.
"I think for someone like [fellow Jamaican] Asafa [Powell] to get a ban of 18 months for that [stimulant oxilofrine] and then Tyson Gay get just one year because of cooperating, I think it is sending a bad message into the sport that you can do it [dope], but if you cooperate with us, we'll reduce the sentence."
Powell claimed his ruling was "unfair and unjust", and said a legal supplement he took, Epiphany D1, was contaminated.
He appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and his ban was subsequently reduced to six months.
Former 100m and 200m world champion Gay could have been banned for up to two years, but received a lighter penalty because he co-operated with the US Anti-Doping Agency.
"I don't think that's the right way to go," Bolt insisted.
"... because you are pretty much telling people that this is a way out, it's a way of beating the system."
Both Gay and Powell have now returned to action.
Bolt is scheduled to race for the first time this year in the Commonwealth Games 4x100m relay next week.
NEW SKY SCARE: FLIGHT GOES MISSING : Air Algerie Plane Missing: Flight AH5017 Disappears From Radar
PARIS (AP) — France's transport minister says the Air Algerie flight carrying 116 people vanished over northern Mali.
The flight was traveling from Burkina Faso to Algeria's capital when it disappeared from radar early Thursday. Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier spoke Thursday from a crisis center set up in the French Foreign Ministry. Source : Huffington PostPALAS UPDATE: PALAS to award 70 new scholarships in 2014-2015..... Hon. Lisa Hanna & Attorney Patrick Campbell to deliver keynote addresses at awards presentation at University of the West Indies (UWI)-Mona Campus, Sat Aug 23, in JAMAICA. Reggae singer, Winsome Benjamin will provide the entertainment.."33 other students who met our criteria regrettably will be bypassed due to lack of funds." Stats; 17 male & 53 female students, 29 high school & 41 university students, there were 140 applicants....One-hundred eighty-five (185) total scholarships awarded in 4 years....We are still seeking donations at www.PALAS1.org.
PALAS, the Atlanta-headquartered charity organization, has received the support of various corporate bodies and individuals to support the students. The stated mission of the group is to recognize and honor outstanding academic performances of under privileged students residing in the Caribbean region.
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| Hon. Lisa Hanna, Minister of Youth & Culture |
The PALAS program was established in December 2010, to honor the memory of young Vanessa Campbell, an aspiring Jamaican artiste who was a casualty of the burgeoning crime and violence problem in Portmore, Jamaica. After Vanessa’s untimely death, an initial scholarship program was created as the SSSJamz/Vanessa Campbell Academic Scholarship to assist high school students from her alma mater, Bridgeport High School. To sustain this effort PALAS has been soliciting funds from all quarters.
Since the inception of the program, PALAS awarded 185 scholarships valued approx. J$8.1 million (US$80,000.00), 20 computers and mentoring for some of the students. Some highlights over the 4 years are; 1,415% increase in scholarships, 376 applicants including Medical Students, Science & Engineering, Law students, Nursing, Business/Accounting and Liberal/Fine arts student applicants. The program is available to students residing in the Caribbean region. The students range in age 12-32 years old from various high schools, UWI, UTECH, NCU, EXED, Shortwood College, UTECH-Guyana and AAIMS Medical School.
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| Patrick Campbell, Attorney |
PALAS continues to strive for “Preserving Young Minds for Posterity”; we would like to thank all the supporters of these most deserving students who are aiming to reach above the sky. The PALAS scholarship application process for the 2014-2015 academic years was opened April 1, through May 30, 2014.
Founder, Rula Brown said “the unfortunate news about PALAS’s effort is that, there were an additional thirty-three (33) students who met the criteria for scholarships, but due to the lack of funds we could not assist at this time.” You may Partner with PALAS (PWP) to have a scholarship in your name, loved one or business by donating a minimum of US$350.00.
Please make a donation to the PALAS program before July 31st. by sending a check to:
PALAS or Peace and Love Academic Scholarship
P.O. Box 5461
Alpharetta, GA 30023-5461. USA
Email: peaceandlovescholarship@gmail.com
Or donate online at www.PALAS1.org with PAYPAL, VISA, MASTERCARD or Check.
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| Singer, Winsome Benjamin will entertain and present the WINSOME BENJAMIN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP to a student at event |
About Peace and Love Academic Scholarship, Inc.
Peace and Love Academic Scholarship is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization in Atlanta, Georgia founded by Jamaican-born Rula Brown. PALAS’ mission is to help improve the health, education and general well-being of less fortunate children residing in the Caribbean region.
Since its formal launch in December 2010, PALAS has dedicated its resources, human and financial, to help make a difference in the lives of underserved children in Jamaica, West Indies as the well as the wider Caribbean region. For further information about PALAS including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.PALAS1.org.
For additional information contact:
Rula Brown, PALAS Exec. Director
rulabrown@gmail.com or (770) 715-0224
Or send email to peaceandlovescholarship@gmail.com
BREAKING NEWS: 2 MORE PLANES SHOT DOWN BY RUSSIAN REBELS
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Two Ukrainian military fighter jets have been shot down in the east, according to the country's Defense Ministry.The Sukhoi-25 fighters were shot down 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday over an area called Savur Mogila. Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksiy Dmitrashkovsky says the planes may have been carrying up to two crew members each. Source: Huffington Post
9-Year-Old South African Boy, Sanele Masilela Marries Elderly Woman, 61 y-o Helen Shabangu who has 5 kids of her own.
July 23, 2014
It's not legal, it's not sexual, but it is still disturbing.
A woman in her 60s, who is a mother of five, renewed her marriage vows with a 9-year-old boy in a wedding ceremony in South Africa earlier this month. Helen Shabangu wed Sanele Masilela in a second ceremony in as many years on July 12 in Kildare Village, Ximhungwe.
The couple got married last year after Masilela said his dead ancestors told him to, according to Barcroft Media.
Story continues below ...
The second ceremony took place because the boy wanted to make it "official," though members of both families made it clear that the marriage was not legally binding, the pair do not live together and, as the Independent reports, they don't have sexual relations.
In fact, Shabangu is a married mother of five, according to South Africa's Daily Sun,where the story appears to have originated. But, the Sun reports that some villagers found the ceremony disgusting.
“I am shocked. This is wrong," Tressy Mathebula told the Sun. The wedding was also attended by Shabangu's husband, Alfred Shabangu, who spoke out in support of the wedding.
"My kids and I are happy because we don't have a problem with her marrying the boy -- and I don’t care what other people say,” Shabangu said, according to the Mirror.
Masilela's mother, Patience, defended the wedding, as well, in a press release obtained by BuzzFeed.
"People keep asking will they live together, sleep together, have babies, but I keep telling them that after the wedding, everything went back to normal –- nothing changed," she said. "All this ceremony is for making ancestors happy. We are playing.”
Masilela told Barcroft he would marry a woman his own age when he got older.
His parents shelled out about $1,700 for the ceremony, according to Barcroft.
With these stories that come from far-off lands and are pitched by photo agencies, there is often cause to be skeptical that they are, in fact, what they appear to be.
The Huffington Post reached out to Joel Samoff, a professor of African studies at Stanford University in California, who called the story "possible" but not "significant."
"I suppose it is possible. But it is certainly not significant. Perhaps in the realm of carnival side shows -- the lady with the heavy beard, or twelve fingers and toes," Samoff said in an email to HuffPost.
The professor also said that having two ceremonies was not unusual.
"On ceremonies, just as in the U.S., sometimes the two families prefer to organize two ceremonies, for example, in a Christian/Jewish marriage, or when the two families live far apart," Samoff said. "That, too, seems neither very unusual nor very significant."
Source: Huffington Post
Racist Man Slaps & Spits at 79-year-old Elderly Black woman, Arnette Hubbard.....Called Her Rosa Parks, He Didn’t Realize That She Was A Cook County Judge!!!!!
A North Side business owner slapped a 79-year-old Cook County judge in the face, spit on her and called her “Rosa Parks” after becoming angry that she was smoking near him outside the Daley Center, authorities said.
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| Racist, David Nicosia (left) and Judge Hubbard (Right) |
“She’s an icon in our community,” said Delores Robinson, past president of the Cook County Bar Association, who noted that Hubbard, a former commissioner on the Cook County Board of Elections, had been an international election observer in Haiti and South Africa and had long been a voice on civil rights and women’s issues.Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday that Hubbard was outside the Daley Center smoking a cigarette when she walked past David C. Nicosia, 55, who became angry that she was smoking near him.
The two argued and Nicosia, who is white, stepped near her face and said, “Rosa Parks, move,” and spit in her face, prosecutors said. As he walked away, the Law Division judge followed him and called out for assistance.
Nicosia then turned and allegedly slapped the judge on the left side of her face with an open hand, prosecutors said. He was then arrested by sheriff’s deputies and charged with four counts of aggravated battery and a hate crime.
Judge James Brown ordered him held on $90,000 bail Tuesday.
Chief Judge Timothy Evans, whose offices are also in the Daley Center, declined to comment. A representative said judicial rules of conduct barred Evans from speaking about a pending criminal case.
Born in Arkansas, Hubbard graduated from Southern Illinois University and John Marshall Law School and began her legal career in 1969 working on civil rights cases, according to online biographies. As part of the city’s African-American power structure, she spent several terms on the city’s election board as well as the cable commission.
Hubbard was appointed to the bench in 1997, re-elected to a six-year term the following year and retained since in two more elections, most recently in 2010.
Nicosia, who state records show is president of an IT consulting business, has no prior Cook County convictions. His attorney did not return a message seeking comment.
Friends of Hubbard were left shaking their heads Tuesday.
“People of good common sense and decency, people of good hearts should be outraged by this,” Robinson said. “Not just because of who she is but that this happened to anybody.”
“I’m still in shock,” said longtime friend Geraldine Simmons, 75, also a past president of the Cook County Bar Association, who questioned whether deputies acted quickly enough
Source: Chicago Tribune
Two Republican Judges Gut Obamacare, Threatening Health Care For Millions....5 Million Could Lose Insurance Support... Affects More Than Half Of Country... 'Punishing Millions Because Of A Typo'... White House To Seek Revote... UPDATE: Separate Court UPHOLDS Obamacare On Same Challenge...
WASHINGTON -- Two Republican judges on the D.C. Circuit Court have ruled that the equivalent of a typo is enough to strip health care subsidies from up to five million people, dealing what would be a death blow to the Affordable Care Act if the decision is allowed to stand. The one Democrat on the panel dissented.
The three-judge panel ruled in Halbig v. Burwell that people in the 36 states that use the federal health insurance exchange are ineligible for subsidized insurance. The decision would also affect those who purchased insurance through the exchange but don't receive subsidies, as reneging on the payments would lead to a rapid increase in insurance rates for everyone.
The White House said Tuesday the decision will be appealed to the entire D.C. circuit court -- what's known as an en banc review -- where Democrats hold a majority that is nearly certain to overturn the GOP judges' aggressive move. The next step could be the Supreme Court, which already upheld the Affordable Care Act in a separate case two years ago.
The U.S. courts have never been entirely above the political system, but under Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, whose court routinely strikes down longstanding precedent along 5-4, strictly party-line votes, they are becoming little more than another legislative branch -- one that holds itself above the branch that was vested with lawmaking powers by the Constitution.
The majority opinion was not without a comedic interlude. "We reach this conclusion, frankly, with reluctance," Judge Thomas Griffith said of the opportunity to achieve a longtime GOP goal.
The two judges seized on text within the law that said subsidies would be provided to people who purchased insurance on exchanges established by the states. But 36 states declined to set up their own exchanges, and chose to rely on the federal government's exchange instead. Because the law doesn't specifically say that people who bought insurance on the federal exchange also get subsidies, the law's opponents argued that therefore such subsidies are illegal. more
Fleeting Bolt : Bolt’s visit could be key to Glasgow Games....the Jamaican is restricting himself to the relay in Glasgow, with just a heat and inevitable final.
BY ROB HARRIS AP Sports Writer Monday, July 21, 2014
COMPETING in just one event, Usain Bolt is likely to race in Glasgow for less than 20 seconds. Just convincing the sprint star to come to the Commonwealth Games, though, should go a long way to elevating the status of a sporting spectacle that might seem anachronistic.
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| BOLT |
Two years after the exuberance of the London Olympics, where Bolt left with three gold medals, Britain is welcoming the world back this week — or former members of the British Empire at least — for Scotland's largest-ever multi-sports event.
Across 11 days, 4,500 athletes will be competing in 17 events as the 20th Commonwealth Games is broadcast for the first time to television audiences in all 71 competing nations and territories. How full the venues will be on those screens remains unclear, with the insatiable appetite for Olympic tickets in London not appearing to have been matched north of the border.
The ticket website shows "high availability" still for many events, including Wednesday's opening ceremony, headlined by rock star Rod Stewart at the home of his beloved football club Celtic, and Susan Boyle, the church volunteer whose soaring voice turned her into an overnight reality TV star.
Even track and field events, which start Sunday at the Hampden Park national football stadium, have tickets still on sale for all but two of the 10 sessions. Not though on August 1 and August 2 when Bolt will appear for the first time.
Unlike in London when he swept the 100, 200 and 4x100-metre relay titles, the Jamaican is restricting himself to the relay in Glasgow, with just a heat and inevitable final. Organisers should be relieved Bolt is participating at all, given his lack of action this season due to a foot injury.
"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event," said Bolt, who skipped the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. more
Big drop in murders as World Cup captivates JAMAICAN criminals....murders dropped by 70, or 12 per cent during the month-long soccer fiesta.
BY OBSERVER CRIME REPORTER Monday, July 21, 2014
BILLED as The Greatest Show On Earth', the 2014 World Cup, which kicked off June 12 with host nation Brazil facing European rivals Croatia, kept Jamaican criminals so busy that murders dropped by 70, or 12 per cent during the month-long soccer fiesta.
Jamaica football fans and even 'wagonists' piled up in front of television sets supporting the teams or players of their choice. Apparently not even crime could compete with the interest generated by the World Cup. The first noticeable development was a steep decline in traffic pile-ups, according to police, in parish capitals, notably when the more popular teams Brazil, Germany or Argentina were on the pitch. During the semi-final encounter between Brazil and Germany, Kingston and Montego Bay were like ghost towns.
But more significantly, the pull and allure of the World Cup had a major effect on the murder toll figures for the country, compared with earlier periods this year.
Based on statistics supplied by the police and confirmed by Minister of National Security Peter Bunting in his presentation to Parliament last Tuesday, murders during the period January 1 to July 13 totalled 520, or 70 less than the 590 recorded for the same period last year, an approximate decline of 12 per cent.
For the specific period of the World Cup -- June 12 to July 13 2014 -- a total of 75 murders were reported to the police. This figure compares with 104 murders in 2013, a difference of 29 and 96 murders in 2012, a difference of 21 murders.
"The decrease of 12 per cent or 70 actual murders during the period of consideration is quite significant for us. We have been working non-stop in our attempts to decrease murders and other major crimes. Despite the gains, there is still much more to be done, but we are very committed to the cause," acting Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds told the Jamaica Observer. more
IN JAMAICA: Edufocal awards top GSAT, CSEC students.... Guest speaker, Professor Errol Morrison told the young awardees "A thought is faster than the speed of light... whatever the mind can conceive, the revolving technology can achieve,"
BY GORGETTE BECKFORD Career & Education writer Sunday, July 20, 2014
EDUFOCAL has awarded nine students for performance in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
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| Edufocal CEO Gordon Swaby (back right) and Edufocal Chairman Peter Levy pose with Edufocal GSAT and CSEC awardees (from left) Matthew Irving, Shamique Francis, Shantol Barton, Tyrese Bryan, Thaia Malcom, Danielle Lindo, and Kariem Lloyd. |
Shamique Francis (last year's top GSAT performer), David Ramdeen, and Shantol Barton (top performer) were awarded for excellent work in CSEC, while Danielle Lindo, Thaia Malcom, Kariem Lloyd, Courtney Seivwright, Matthew Irving, and Tyrese Bryan (top performer) were awarded for their work in the GSAT. In addition to the plaques and gift baskets, the top performer from each level was given $30,000.
Edufocal, an interactive, user-friendly online learning environment which employs gamification to engage primary and secondary students, is the brainchild of CEO Gordon Swaby. Its incentivised model promotes learning in a competitive but relaxed community.
At the awards ceremony held at Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Swaby announced an upcoming SAT partnership, as well as an expansion to include other Caribbean countries. The current platform is concentrated on GSAT and CSEC.
This year marks the second staging of the awards.
Guest speaker Professor Errol Morrison implored the young awardees to open up their thinking and to not limit themselves.
"A thought is faster than the speed of light... whatever the mind can conceive, the revolving technology can achieve," Morrison said.
In the same vein he sought to emphasise the importance of being logical by sharing an anecdote: If there are three birds in a tree and you shoo one, how many would remain? Mathematically, two. But birds are easily frightened so logic dictates that all three would fly away.
The professor, who is currently the director general of the National Commission on Science and Technology, highlighted the significance of using the cellphone as a tool for education. more
Wow! BOY WONDER, 13 y-o SHAMARIE received STRAIGHT A's in 11 Subjects in High School at St. George’s College for Boys in Kingston, Jamaica! Shamarie has been on Paul Bogle Scholarship since 1st form
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| Shamarie |
The Caribbean Education Foundation says HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our brilliant Paul Bogle Scholarship recipient, SHAMARIE, who has remained an "A" STUDENT at St. George’s College! He is 13 years old and in 2nd Form (Grade 8). He graduated from St. Peter Claver Primary School. Shamarie has been on CEF Paul Bogle Scholarship since 1st Form.
BRAVO SHAMARIE! CEF is supported by individual donations in order to award scholarships to brilliant, poor children like Shamarie, so they have meaningful access to quality education, opportunities to succeed and transform their own lives. Public high schools are NOT FREE in Jamaica. CEF's scholarships pay school fees, text books, school supplies and transportation. Please LIKE and SHARE with your networks, so others will become aware of our important cause to give youths living in poverty a fighting chance in the world! Visit CEF Project on Global Giving and make a contribution. THANK YOU for your support. One love. more
Safety our main concern, says Fly Jamaica Company, also knocks Observer report of resignations. "No one in this company must have any apprehension or any thought that we're flying an aeroplane that is not safe."
THE directors of Fly Jamaica Airways have rubbished a report in Friday's Daily Observer, saying that delays are not unusual to the airline industry and that the company is not rocked by resignations.
Insisting that the safety of their passengers and crew is their top priority, Captain Paul Reece, chairman and CEO; his wife Roxanne Reece, a director; and Captain Patrick Cousins, also a director, said the information in the Observer story was wrong.
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| Fly Jamaica |
"No one in this company must have any apprehension or any thought that we're flying an aeroplane that is not safe. So that's why we have a maintenance delay," Captain Reece said in response to the report of a number of delays experienced by the airline in recent weeks.
"If we have a light go on in the cockpit, we are not going to fly with it. We have to be safe. No one must say that any of our pilots or engineers let the plane take off with a fault," Captain Reece insisted.
"So when we have a delay, and we say we're grounded for maintenance, we are grounded for maintenance, because we want to fix it so when we fly, the aeroplane is safe," he added.
Yesterday, in a news release, the company noted that in the airline industry passenger safety requires that pilots and engineers are trained not to allow any aircraft to be operated with any malfunction.
"Therefore, when there is any indication of any abnormal situation, the aircraft will be grounded and thoroughly checked and repaired to ensure the safety of the travelling public. This is the reason airlines maintain such a high safety record," the company said in its news release.
"All of our passengers whose travel plans were recently disrupted as a result of our irregular operation for a period of two days were contacted, were re-accommodated in hotels, and travelled to their final destination on other airlines at the expense of Fly Jamaica Airways," the company added. more
ISRAEL INVASION OF GAZA: 1 In 5 Of Gaza Dead Are Children
AP | By KARIN LAUB and YOUSUR ALHLOU
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Sobbing and shaking, Ismail Abu Musallam leaned against the wall of a hospital Friday, waiting for three of his children to be prepared for burial. They were killed as they slept when an Israeli tank shell hit their home, burying 11-year-old Ahmed, 14-year-old Walaa and 16-year-old Mohammed under debris in their beds.
His personal tragedy is not unique: the U.N. says minors make up one-fifth of the 299 Palestinians killed in 11 days of intense Israeli bombardment of the densely populated Gaza Strip, where half the 1.7 million people are under age 18.
The Israeli military says it's doing its utmost to spare civilians by urging residents to leave areas that are about to be shelled or bombed as Hamas targets. It accuses the Islamic militants of using civilians as human shields by firing rockets from civilian areas.
But even if urged to evacuate, most Gazans have no safe place to go, rights activists say.
"If you are going to attack civilian structures in densely populated areas, of course you are going to see children killed," said Bill Van Esveld, a researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Seventy-one of those killed since fighting began on July 8 were under 18, according to an Associated Press count based on information provided by Palestinian health official Ashraf al-Kidra. Forty-eight of the victims were under the age of 13. Many of the children were killed in their own homes. more
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