Printable version

Barry's Haitian Inter-Cultural Association to host vigil, lock-in and rally

Contact: Whitney Sessa
(305) 899-4877

This Friday, Jan. 22, Barry University’s 35-member Haitian Inter-Cultural Association (HICA) and Office of Student Activities, with support from Alternative Spring Break (ASB), All Greek Council, Campus Activities Board (CAB), Student Government Association (SGA) and the Student Organization Council (SOC), will host a vigil, rally and overnight student lock-in to gather university support for Haiti relief efforts at Barry.

A prayer vigil for the people of Haiti will take place at 7 p.m. at the Landon Student Union Courtyard and will be followed by a student rally, taking place in Landon's Grill 155, that will feature a presentation on Haiti, performances by student groups, and performances by local Haitian artists, including Elie Lapointe and Harmonik. The rally will conclude with a student lock-in, also taking place in Grill 155, where Barry students will spend the night on campus to raise awareness and generate support for the university’s unified collection of food, medical supplies and monetary donations.

Barry University is home to hundreds of students of Haitian descent, including more than a 100 with Haitian citizenship. Several members of HICA, including two of HICA’s executive members, Providencia Gousse and Danae Brierre, as well as Barry faculty member Dr. Evelyn Cartright, have immediate family members in Haiti who have died in the disaster or continue to remain missing. Gousse, Brierre and Cartwright are also members of Barry’s Haiti Relief Task Force. These HICA members, as well as others, will be available to the working media at this Fridays evening’s event to discuss their feelings on Haiti’s disaster.

In addition to Barry’s university-wide collection of goods and monetary donations, a prayer vigil will be held for the people of Haiti on Barry’s main campus each Friday through Feb. 19. For more information about Barry’s Haiti relief effort, visit www.barry.edu/Haitirelief or contact Cartright, assistant professor of English at Barry University, at 305-899-4896 or ecartright@mail.barry.edu.

For additional information about HICA and the student vigil, rally and lock-in, contact Gousse, vice president of HICA at Barry, at 954-903-8221 or providencia.gousse@mymail.barry.edu or Brierre, secretary of HICA at Barry, at 954-557-9699 or danae.brierre@mymail.barry.edu.

Following last week’s tragedy in Haiti, Barry University formed the Haiti Relief Task Force to organize a university-wide support and relief effort with representatives from HICA, Student Affairs, the School of Social Work, International & Multicultural Programs, Student Activities, Campus Ministry, the Center for Counseling & Psychological Services and Housing & Residence Life. On Thursday, Barry began its relief project, in collaboration with the non-profit organizations Food for the Poor and Catholic Relief Services, collecting food, blankets, medical supplies and monetary donations on campus, as well as at off-site campuses throughout Florida.

Immediate assistance was also provided to Barry students, faculty and staff following last week’s tragedy through counseling services provided by Barry’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. On Friday, a university-wide counseling session with Creole-speaking counselors was offered on campus and a Mass was held at Barry’s Cor Jesu Chapel and offered for those affected by the disaster.