Through My Eyes, In My Words:

West Indian Identies

Taught by John T. McCartney, associate professor and head of government and law, and Samuel Hay, visiting professor of government and law

Leslie Saint of Dunellen, N.J., is a double major in psychology and Africana Studies. She is coordinator of Resident Advisors. She has been a leader in the sustained programs of voluntary service conducted by students each year under the auspices of Lafayette's Landis Community Outreach Center and is the recipient of the Aaron O. Hoff Award as volunteer of the year.

We arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, on New Year's Eve ready to ring in the New Year "Bahamian Style" with the annual Junkanoo Festival. This cultural celebration, a tradition for Bahamians, is simply their way of acknowledging the arrival of a New Year. The Junkanoo participants come from all segments of the population, from young school-aged children to older adults. They parade through the main sections of the island throughout the night and into early New Year's morning. These individuals, who have spent all year creating and decorating costumes, showcase their cultural heritage during this event. The drums and brass instruments added even more flavor to the costumes and traditional dances performed by the participants. In fact, I would say that the music and dance gave a "voice" to the costumes. What a way to ring in the New Year!

Knowing that once classes began we would have readings and assignments to prepare, we decided to spend New Year's Day on the beach. Our classes were held at a church schoolroom, about a 20-minute walk from the hotel where we stayed for the duration of our trip. Professor John Mc Cartney taught the political component of the course, where we were introduced to the key issues that led to the political structure of the Caribbean. The literature component of the course, taught by Professor Sam Hay, provided us with a glimpse into the literary culture of the Caribbean. Several times a week we listened to speakers from the community lecture on topics that ranged from workers in the Bahamas to religion in the Bahamas. Writing reaction papers at least twice a week gave us an opportunity to reflect on both our assignments and the observations that we made on a daily basis.

Our afternoons, which were designated as free time, were quite busy. We took this time to visit tourist attractions such as the famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island or gamble at the Cable Beach Casino. We also used this time to try out the local dishes, such as conch fritters, peas and rice, and grouper fish. Interim 2004 Bahamas, for the 19 students enrolled in the course, is an experience that we will remember and treasure for years to come!