The university students pose in the gardens with Myriam Huet (far left), Patricia Arrindell from USM (second left), and Ras Touza Jah Bash (kneeling). (Photo Robert Luckock)
MARIGOT--The effect of the 2017 hurricanes did not put off a new group of students from Tulane University in New Orleans, who are currently on island for two weeks, to immerse themselves in the cultural and social aspects of the island as part of their cultural anthropology courses. The university encourages an aspect of community service abroad that offers students practical experience.
It’s the third consecutive year that Tulane University’s Assistant Director for the centre of Public Studies, Myriam Huet, PhD, has brought a group to the island. At an informal gathering in the market gardens in Bellevue with Ras Touza Jah Bash, a partner in the student programme, the second-year students, who hail from different States in the USA, reflected on their first week on the island. They are all studying for bachelor’s degrees.
The student group included Parina Lotlikar, a St. Martin University student studying for a degree in Associate and Business Management, who spent her final semester at Tulane. She said she was very grateful to be given the opportunity. Also present was University of St. Martin (USM) instructor and advisor Patricia Arrindell.
Huet explained that she and Arrindell have been working on an exchange programme between the two universities since the start of the visits.
“Patricia was about to come to Tulane in October 2017 with six students, but it was just after the hurricanes and had to be cancelled. Each year she hosts our students at USM and arranges for an exchange and a lecture, and always receives us generously,” added Huet.
“It’s wonderful to host Tulane students again on the Dutch side,” said Arrindell. “I’m sure your experience so far has been productive and successful. Welcome to St. Martin.”
The students work in the morning in the gardens under the supervision of Ras Touza where they learn about cultivating all the different vegetables, plants, herbs, and fruit trees and help with the recovery of the gardens. The afternoons are set aside for activities and meetings. The students are free at weekends.
Visits have included a meeting with President Daniel Gibbs, artist Ruby Bute, historian Danielle Jeffry, a tour of Fort Louis, learning the history of Loterie Farm, taking part in kindergarten activities at a school in Sandy Ground, attending the St. Martin Book Fair and observing the Abolition of Slavery ceremony.
“I especially enjoyed the Emancipation Day ceremonies,” said one student. “It was very educational and gave me another view of the island I hadn’t realised before, culturally and geographically.”
Huet added: “All these activities give students a deeper understanding of Caribbean history, but more specifically about St. Martin, more than if they were visiting as tourists.”
Myriam Huet spent two years in St. Martin when she was researching for a thesis on Solidarity Rastafari. Since then she has always remained in contact with Ras Touza Jah Bash.
