Featured Image: Charles “Pollo” Goodings (Photo Courtesy of Horace Matthews)
Nikiyah Gerson |
ST. CROIX – The University of the Virgin Islands has students with a broad range of talents. Some who use these very talents everyday and in ways that directly impact the students of the university such as Charles Goodings, Jr., a.k.a. “Pollo.”
Pollo is a radio show host for WUVI on the St. Croix Campus, airing on 97.3 FMLP and 1090 AM, every Wednesday from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
“I enjoy bringing entertainment and enjoyment to others through the university radio station,” expressed Pollo.
Before going on air, Pollo goes through his usual ritual, such as making sure his equipment is set up, playlist is ready and posting announcements on his social media informing people to tune in.
He has recently begun going “Live” on Facebook which allows people to actually see him in the studio while he is on air, thus appealing to a bigger audience.
“Being a radio show host for the school is a fun experience because I get to do what I love,” said Pollo.
Pollo is a junior on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. He is a full-time student obtaining a degree in mass communication and mass media.
The many hats Pollo wears include: DJ, radio show host, engineer, songwriter/musician, activity coordinator, president of Team M.A.D. (Making A Difference), a non-profit organization, and owner of his own clothing line, Apollo Legion, LLC.
The everyday life of Pollo revolves around the things he loves doing best such as entertainment and expanding his clothing line.
One could see Pollo on campus five days a week juggling a full-time class schedule, maintaining his business and giving back to UVI.
Remember it’s important to support our own. Make sure to tune into 97.3 FMLP and 1090 AM to listen to Pollo or watch him live on Facebook every Wednesday from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
ST. CROIX — It’s 10:15 p.m. and the only thing that could be heard in Brandys Scott’s 15 X 15 foot. dorm room was the steady tapping of the pen on her wooden computer desk, coupled with her rhythmic breathing as she pondered over the last question of her psychology homework.
The loud sound of her phone vibrating on her wooden desk quickly breaks the peaceful silence that had enveloped the room as she received a notification. Putting her pondering on hold, she picks up the phone and burst out in a hearty laugh as she watches a Snapchat video her sister sent of her trying on her Halloween costume and doing the popular shmoney dance at the same time.
Clad in Joe Boxer smiley face pajama bottoms and a wife-beater, Brandys got up and went through her door, still laughing at the Snapchat video by her sister in search of the restroom. Reenter the room with a smile still on her face, Brandys went back to her wooden desk to resume her search for the answer to that last question.
The blaring sound of her iPhone’s ringtone flooded the room as a sleepy Brandys answered, “Hello” followed by a frantic “I’ll be right down.” She forgot that she had an 8 a.m. work meeting and her coworkers were all waiting for her to arrive. Hustling out of bed, Brandys rushed out of her room and into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Then she quickly got rid of her smiley face pajama bottoms, pulled on a pair of jeans that were at the foot of her bed, grabbed her AKA varsity styled jacket from her closet and ran through the door.
At 5- foot 1-inch Brandys is a graduating psychology senior, vice president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., senior senator, veteran resident assistant and secretary to the University of the Virgin Islands Psychology Club, sister, best friend and daughter. With chocolate coloured skin, dark brown eyes shielded behind her square- framed glasses, shoulder length black hair and a distinguishing mole at the bottom of her lip on the right side of her face
Entering her room shortly after 9 a.m. from her early morning work meeting, Brandys shrugged her jacket off and put it over the back of her wooden computer desk chair. Moving over to her micro fridge, she opened the door and took out a Capri Sun juice pouch which she drank all while standing in front of the open fridge. Discarding the now empty pouch in the trash can by her computer desk, she glanced over to the top of her desk where she had multiple brightly colored Post- it notes lining the top of looking like a trail of Skittles neatly lined off. A puzzled look filled Brandys face as she stared at a fuchsia colored Post-it note before walking over to her desk sized calendar that she had propped on the back of her door to confirm the discrepancy. She realized that today was SGA’s Open House for which she was supposed to be a guest panelist and it slipped her mind.
After making a quick phone call to confirm her attendance time at the panel, Brandys grabs her towel and shower caddy and leaves the room.
Shuffling through her dresser drawer looking for her ‘SGA Nice’ shirt, Brandy’s room has an air of comfortable chaos. Her bed is unmade with the fitted sheet lifting slightly at one end, folders and textbooks on one side of the bed, her psychology text and book from last night’s homework session were still open, six pairs of shoes were scattered throughout the room, sticky notes on her computer desk, and a pile of clothes were piled on her extra wooden chair.
Listening to Pandora’s Beyoncé radio, Brandys is sitting in the hallway mirror curling her hair as she sings “Flawless”, a popular song by the international singer. Hair curled, Brandys applies a coat of lip gloss to her lips and mascara to her eyelashes before she unplugs her curling iron and walks back into her room.
Powerwalking to the UVI Great Hall where the panel was set to take place, Brandys sat and listened attentively as the other speakers spoke, checking her phone occasionally to see what the latest updates were on her Instagram. When the MC announced for her to come to the front along with the other guest panelist, Brandys went up and began speaking about her experience at UVI.
Manning the decorated AKA table at the open house at the cafeteria, Brandys sports her AKA jacket while speaking to the young ladies about the organization and how they can join.
Between her three classes, running around to Kmart and Cost- U- Less, psychology club meeting where she got goodie bags prepared for their upcoming bake sale – a high- spirited Brandys still managed to attend the happy hour program that was put on by a university organization that night and won the intense game of beer pong with her team.
“I consider this the perfect opportunity to improve my time- management skills and practice learning how to balance everything that’s happening in my world in preparation for my life post college,” an extremely frazzled looking Brandys said as she climbed the two flights of stairs to her second story room.
It is now 11 p.m. and as her room door closes, you could hear the scraping of the wooden computer chair being pulled out as Brandys prepares for another late night filled with homework and possibly funny Snapchat videos.
Brandys Scott’s marked off calender of events that have passed.
ST. CROIX — Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
SGA President Kevin Dixon
St. Croix— Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
There are leaders of large nations and small organizations, but great leaders strive to help and inspire others; they “have a heart for outreach.” Student Government Association (SGA) President Kevin Dixon has been described as one such leader.
Since being elected president last year, Kevin has made it his mission to “move the organization forward” in order to better serve the student body. Under his leadership, SGA has become an organization that junior Zoe Walker believes “could really make a difference.”
A senior majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing, Kevin Dixon is a very busy person. On his second year at UVI, he decided to “get involved” on campus and that has been one of his goals ever since.
In addition to being second-term SGA president, Kevin Dixon is also a member of several other clubs, organizations and committees on campus. These include the UVI Senate, the Honorary Degree Committee, the Voices of Inspiration Choir and the St. Croix Presidential Advisory Committee. With so much on his plate, Dixon still manages to excel in his classes and is even the student ambassador for the Thurgood Marshal College Fund.
How does he do it? “Long nights and weekends” and learning to “balance and prioritize.”
“It’s stressful, but knowing the stress is worth it, makes it okay. When you have a purpose, it makes up for all the stress and when it’s over and you know you did things right and people enjoyed it, it’s all worth it.”
One word Kevin Dixon tries to live up to is “ambitious.” He is motivated by “that sense of having an impact.”
Even at sixteen he had taken on leadership positions in an effort “to help change lives.” He led walks in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in which his group raised the most money. During his second year at UVI, Kevin joined SGA and became its public relations officer. He then became treasurer and worked his way “up the scale” to president of the organization.
However, Kevin has not always been the confident and charismatic young man you can see walking around campus greeting people with a smile. Before becoming a leader, Kevin faced his own struggles to “grow himself.”
When he moved here from St. Kitts in 2003, Kevin was “shy and quiet” and he “did not like speaking in front of audiences.” Today, he can be seen giving speeches and representing various organizations at events.
He credits the change in him, in part, to the “support of his family members,” and Ms. Washington, Ms. Finch and Ms. Elliot. However, the greatest influence in Kevin’s life has been his pastor, who acted as “a mentor and role model” to a young Kevin Dixon.
Without the influence of people such as his pastor, Kevin believes he “would not be as involved on campus as he is.” He also “would not have grown as much as he has in the past few years” in which he has overcome most of his shyness to become the public figure he is on campus today. For that influence, says Kevin, he is “really grateful.”
Just as others have inspired and influenced his life, Kevin hopes to use his leadership skills to “inspire others” and “touch other people’s lives.”
As John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
For Kevin Dixon, “it is always a pleasure serving.” He advises students to “get involved” and “set themselves apart from other students by showing they are well rounded.” Kevin says about every situation, “make the best of it.”
Sophomore Felicia Emmanuel describes Kevin as “not only a strong leader, but also a visionary.
Using fresh ideas such as the SWAGG (Students with a Greater Goal) movement, he not only improved the appeal of SGA, but also how SGA stays current with the student body” Emmanuel said.
Because of Kevin’s dedication and effectiveness as a leader, several family members and individuals have been encouraging Kevin to run for government office. It makes sense, they argue, “since he has been setting himself up to do so.”
“It’s definitely something to think about,” says Kevin, but right now, he is focused on his last year at UVI and intends to “go out with a bang.”
UVI VOICE 