The period October 23rd to October 30th had been designated as Anguilla Community College Week. Customarily, during this week in October, the College would host programmes and activities that provide an opportunity for the stakeholders of the institution — including students, faculty and staff — to engage in an indepth awareness of its operations, and to share this awareness with the general public. The week began with a church service at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Mount Fortune, on Saturday October 23rd.
The College’s delegates included, among others, the President, Dr. Kenneth Williams; the Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ronald Harrigan; the Dean of Studies, Dr. Michelle Queeley; Board members, Heads of the various divisions, lecturers, and members of the administrative staff.
The church’s hostess, Charmaine Rogers, gave a warm welcome to the visiting guests: “Today we welcome our friends from the Anguilla Community College,” she said. “We are happy and blessed to have you all, and we recognise, in particular, the President, Dr. Williams; the Chairman, Dr. Harrigan; and the Dean, Dr. Queeley. Indeed, we are delighted that you all have chosen to worship with us here at Mount Fortune.
“I know for sure that you will be blessed as we share with you, and as you fellowship with us. On behalf of Pastor and Sister Simon, and the entire congregation, I cordially welcome you.” Sister Charmaine then issued special presentations, keep-sake tokens, to the visiting guests.
After the worship segment, President Williams took the opportunity to express his pleasure to be in the service: “To the members of this church, I would like to say how pleased we are that you have allowed us to come and worship with you today. So far, I have certainly enjoyed the service. Your worship is really great. (The congregation applauded.) It reminds me of the great worship I enjoy at home in Barbados.
“Today marks the beginning of our activities for College Week, and we are commemorating an important institution in our society, our only indigenous College. This week the Anguilla Community College will be engaging in a number of activities.”
“The College is here to serve the community,” he said. “The purpose of a Community College is predominantly to serve the community in which it is established. Our theme is ‘Your Community College and You’, and it is driven by the developmental needs of this community.” He made mention of the fact that he, himself, is a student at the college, undertaking a course in Electricity, and that later intends to study Plumbing.
A prayer of blessing and dedication was offered by Pastor Howard Simon, for the students and personnel of the College. In it he prayed that the institution would be blessed beyond measure, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and that Anguilla would be better and stronger due to the existence of the Anguilla Community College.
The Pastor then began to preach his sermon entitled “College Life”. He alluded to the saying “School Days are the Best Days”, and he remarked that this saying holds true, whether one is in pre-school, primary school, secondary school or tertiary school. He observed that life itself is like a school. “There are always subjects to be studied; life is like a school. There is always homework to be handed in and projects to be completed, for life is like a school. There are always some presentations to be presented, because life is like a school…”
His text was taken from the Book of Daniel Chapter 1. “Here is a strange and significant snapshot of college life,” he said. These scriptures tell the intriguing story of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel’s term of study in the University of Babylon.
“There were enrolled in this university,” the Pastor said, “not because they chose a course of study there, but they got there through conquest. They got there because they were enslaved. They got to the Babylonian university because the people of Israel found themselves in captivity, and they were forcibly enrolled in the University of Babylon.”
He went on to preach, in part, that in Babylon the culture and the people were strange to these four young men, and there was much opposition poised against them. “Even the food was strange, and they had to make new adjustments,” he said. “But their friendship, their fellowship and their faith caused them to stick together and ride above the opposing forces. These qualities enabled them to be successful, not only in their academic work, but to be successful in life.”
The President, Dr. Williams, commended the sermon and the entire service was a blessing to them all. “We really enjoyed the worship,” he said. “The songs were familiar to me, and the Pastor preached a powerful sermon that was just on target. He kept us focused on the Word. It was a pleasure to be here.”
