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00:00As we close this season of the Party Start, we fed with the University of the West Indies St. Augustine campus for a taste of what the faculty goes through to secure their students' education.
00:11Also, in Caston Cupid's Jones in Tobago, we bring the beauty of the Mount Irvin Bay Resort.
00:30Welcome to the Party Start. First and foremost, we are accustomed to this being a lovely event, but during Carnival, why are we in July?
00:49Well, first of all, it's breaking out coming after the two years of lockdown, number one.
00:55Students have been under real stress for the last two years, and these events have all been to build bursaries and scholarships as students.
01:05And it's important now more than ever. But also, we wanted to play with different variations of the FET, and this allowed us to do that.
01:13I'm listening to the music today, and the wider variety, I think, is one that will attract a much bigger crowd as well.
01:19So, I'm really happy with this, quite frankly.
01:22Dr. Charles. Yes?
01:24Welcome to the Party Start. You look lovely.
01:26Thank you, thank you.
01:27Ravishing, I may say. Thank you.
01:28What a lovely event. What is the whole essence, the epitome of this UE event here today?
01:34It's all about our students. The pandemic has taken away our grand event, the UE FET, and our students need help.
01:42They need financial assistance. So, it's all about our students, helping them fulfill their dreams.
01:47So, this is a fundraiser. Every cent goes to a scholarship or bursary. Every year, the UE FET gives out 200 bursaries yearly.
01:56So, this is to help us with our bursaries for the last two years, since we had no event. And, of course, it's a precursor to the big events in 2023 UE FET as well.
02:08How do we look forward? How are we going to better this for 2023?
02:11So, this is just a taste of what you're going to get in 2023. We will unveil the theme in about a month's time, but we are aiming to have a FET size of 4,000 people because we need the money. This FET is really the lifeline for students in need.
02:31The people who work here all have a connection. The parents, the generations that are working here, cousins, families.
02:59They're all connected. There's a personal stake in this property, which is very unique for me. I've worked various different countries and never have I been in a property that has so many ties in that way.
03:17In this particular room, which is the Jacaranda room, there are brass sculptures that are on the wall and one of the ladies that I work with actually had let me know that it was her father who designed and made those sculptures.
03:37I think that that is fantastic. It's phenomenal. Every time you walk into work, you're seeing your family history. That's fantastic.
03:47Fantastic. The sugar mill is, well, was the center of the sugar plantation here way back when. And when it was purchased and made into a resort, that original structure was kept. It is the largest sugar mill in Tobago.
04:09And it's turned into a restaurant now. So it is the center of our restaurant. I understand the story to be Mr. York had gone to the golf course. He wanted to partake in the restaurant and be part of the activities there.
04:31And he was refused service, refused entry because of his ethnicity. He left angry and turned around and purchased the property, the golf course and the hotel, combined it into one and owned the largest property that Trin Begonian had owned at the time.
04:58This year we celebrate 50 years since it became a hotel. But Mr. York purchased it shortly after that. So he's owned it since the 70s. Sorry, since the 80s.
05:16Mr. York purchased it. Every time I come into work, I remind myself of that. The fact that this man, instead of doing something extreme, he stood proud like Tobagonians do and just went forward and made a difference.
05:40For many generations to come. I think that's phenomenal. Every time I take somebody through the property, my sense of pride in the history grows.
05:52I am amazed at how many people of all ages are still interested in the history of Tobago and how much beauty they find in such simple things.
06:07Are you a sick and most of these new traditions?
06:10Let's do it!