Politicians keep out

January 13, 2002

Dear Sir,

I was gratified to see your report outlining the College's revamping of its hiring practices, dated December 29 2001, after recently returning from the holidays. This is long overdue and much required before members of the community can trust that the Bermuda College will deal with them fairly and honestly in the future. As your paper has correctly reported over recent years, trust is a commodity that has been in rare supply on the Bermuda College campus.

Your report goes on to quote Dr. Orenduff as saying:”The College has a legitimate interest in having employees that represent the diversity of the population of the Island.”

However, Dr. Orenduff hedges this statement by adding “it is appropriate that the employee population is predominantly black”.

It is rather weak to on the one hand say that the College has “a legitimate interest” in diversity and then to suggest that it is “appropriate” to not have diversity in either employment or in the distribution of honours. By making these statements, Dr. Orenduff is trying to side-step responsibility for the fact that the Bermuda College's staffing does not reflect Bermuda's diverse cultural make-up. The College needs to be held accountable in this regard.

Your report goes on to quote Dr. Orenduff as saying: “I think if we hire the best people we will find a mix that reflects the diversity of the Island.”

I generally agree with this statement in an environment where cultural diversity is encouraged. Unfortunately, cultural diversity has not been encouraged at the Bermuda College.

What Dr. Orenduff did not tell you in this interview is that the Bermuda College is under extraordinary pressure from the Government to protect the jobs of black employees in the course of restructuring and reorganising the College. You don't have to be a PhD to know that if you have a faculty which is “predominantly” black and you are only allowed to make redundant those who are not black, you will eventually end up with a faculty which is almost entirely black.

I would be very happy for the faculty to be entirely black if I thought that the employment practices of the Bermuda College were not biased. As a teenager I spent two years being educated in an environment where I was the only white student in my class and all but one of my teachers were black. These teachers were kind, committed, inspiring, and fair - not because of the colour of their skin but because of the nature of their hearts. I see many such committed faculty and staff at the Bermuda College.

The problem comes when politicians interfere in the running of academic institutions. I was most disappointed to learn first hand that upon gaining power this Government set about to implement a vision of a New Bermuda on the Bermuda College campus which is “predominantly” black with little interest in promoting cultural diversity.

How unfortunate for Bermuda and its young people!

ROBERT R. PIRES

Pembroke

Show your support

January 17, 2001

Dear Sir,

In the past few weeks a surprising number of people have stopped me to say that they supported something or other that I had said or written. It occurs to me that I should suggest that they show their support in a tangible fashion by joining the N.A.R. and making their own voice heard through it. They may do this by sending their name, address and telephone number with $10 for membership fee to N.A.R., P.O. Box HM 2662, Hamilton, HM KX. If they have any questions they may call 293-2423.

I have also heard a great many comments of discontent. Most of them are not heard beyond the individual to whom they are speaking. There are in enough in common in many cases that if they were expressed through a collective voice they may be heard by a wider audience. In most cases the discontent has an economic component. It is inevitable that the economic disparity between the two communities is often relevant. N.A.R.'s purpose has been to acknowledge some of these disparities because without doing so there can never be reconciliation or harmony, between, or even within the communities.

Some have said that they do not wish to “reconcile” and that each community is satisfied with the separation. But none of us are satisfied with the conduct of the those who either because of lack of education, or out of sheer social frustration, are expressing this frustration with lack of opportunity, or social acceptance by anti-social behaviour, the most obvious being through their association with drugs, in one form or another.

N.A.R. may not have all of the solutions but it will have many more if those who are concerned will join us and share with others either their concerns, talents or merely their passion for a better Bermuda. I am looking forward to hearing from some of those young people who have spoken to me.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

PLP can win in Pembroke

January 18, 2002

Dear Sir,

I would not trust Jamal as a representative for the UBP. It seems that these kinds of people are not to be trusted. They are like a double-minded man who rolls like the ways of the sea.

But what can we say! The UBP is expected to do any unorthodox thing to win in any election. We should be informed that they have tried all the tricks to see which one is best suited to the role they play as the unstable man. They go back to the beginning of party politics, where Uncle Toms and those searching for upward mobility for personal gain used them. That will never change. As the story goes: birds of a feather flock together. Remember Dr. Paul DelaChevotiere. After all the work the PLP did to get him elected, he turned his back and crossed over to the other side, meaning UBP. So don't be surprised, Jamal might do the same thing that the doctor did. I have no faith in these people. Let us stand firm and vote PLP. We may have been poor, little people, but we have grown up to govern this country for three years. I am so pleased with what I see. I believe that we can win a UBP seat. Go PLP!

DAVIS P. TANNOCK Retired but not tired

Airline needs shake-up

January 17, 2002

Dear Sir,

Last Sunday I had the misfortune to have to travel Boston, by Delta Airlines, returning on Tuesday, 15 January to Bermuda. On the outward journey I was offered a packet of peanuts and on the return journey I received pretzels. This was in First Class.

I understand that no meals are now served to any passengers on the Bermuda/Boston route and this is a totally unacceptable situation. We hear an awful lot about the poor and expensive service that visitors experience in Bermuda and when travel both begins and ends with an airline that is not willing to provide any meaningful service, then we have a major problem. Bermuda residents, our tourist and our international business clients will all be appalled by this arrogant and complacent lack of service and I therefore hope that our Ministers of Transport or Tourism will take this matter up with Delta Airlines before any more damage is caused to our already depleted number of visitors.

TONY CURTIS - EVANS

Bailey's Bay

A roaring success

January 15, 2001

Dear Sir,

Share the Christmas Spirit

Christmas seems to be in the distant past as another new year looms ahead. Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Bermuda collectively, for participating in the thirteenth year of our Lion, Lioness and Leo project, Share the Christmas Spirit.

This past season we were, with your help in placing non perishable items in the MarketPlace bins, able to make up and deliver 450 Christmas food hampers.

Grateful thanks go to CedarBridge Academy students and Bermuda High School Leo Club for Christmas wrapping all the boxes. This was indeed a great help.

Once again, our appreciation goes to the many businesses who sponsored us in various ways.

Also, we acknowledge our friends at the MarketPlace Stores, who, without their help this project would not happen.

Many of our schools and pre schools made food collections this season, including many first's for our project. Thank you.

We also held our annual instore tag day on Saturday, 24th November. This brought in a total of $2,762.92, a tremendous effort. Many thanks to our thousands of contributors and to all who tagged.

At this point I would like to thank Warwick Academy Leo Club for tagging for a whole day at one store, bringing in a total of $305.93. Well done!

As we anticipated, we had many more needy families this year due to the economic situation, but as a community we should be proud that once again we rallied round to help our fellow Bermudians in a time of need.

On behalf of the Lion, Lioness and Leo Clubs of Bermuda, thank you all for Sharing the Christmas Spirit.

LIONESS CYNTHIA BELL

Eastern Lioness Club