If buildings could talk, the newly renovated social sciences building on the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Thomas campus would win an orators award hands down. 
The building was christened Thursday morning amid more affection than could be imagined for a physical structure. The memories it holds for so many people virtually provided the foundation for the day.
Until the mid-1970s, the social sciences faculty was scattered across the campus but finally found a home under one roof in the building constructed during the 1940s by the U.S. Navy as officers’ housing during the World War II.
As the years rolled by, seeing the College of the Virgin Islands become the UVI in 1986, the venerable little white building housed the Humanities Division, which combined with Social Sciences comprise the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (called CLASS).
The faculty was once again housed elsewhere when renovations began last October. Everyone agrees it was worth the wait.
The handsome building surrounded by deep pink bougainvillea now houses 11 faculty offices, a dean’s office, reception and administrative assistant’s office, a psychology lab and a conference room, soon to be outfitted for video conferencing. 
Led by masters of ceremony Social Sciences Department Chairman Dion Phillips and political science professor Malik Sekou, the day began with remarks by Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson, who remembered days in the old building when "we all thought was occupied by jumbies."
Jones-Hendrickson said he trusts they have now gone elsewhere. He recognized alumni in the audience, present and retired, including social sciences professor Paul Leary, who taught from 1969 to 1999.
UVI President David Hall had the audience laughing after he was introduced without fanfare, because everyone knows who he is. "Well," Hall said, "you could have showered me with praise, but …" He let his voice trail off.
Hall lost no time in praising others who have helped bring the building to fruition, including Shirley Lake, "my CFO who can say ‘no,’ but who figured out a way to release the funds we needed, and Charles Martin, our director of facilities, whose vision expedited the process."
Hall said he had “two themes for the building. One is an investment in our social sciences faculty, an environment to work in where they can excel. Two is transformation, not accepting the status quo.”
“In a few months, we saw the transformation of a new building before our eyes,” Hall said. “This renovation is the first to lead to others. And it’s located just south of our new West Hall."
The university president quickly recognized Sen. Donald Cole in the audience, thanking him for the Legislature’s support.
After remarks by former Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, who noted that after turns as governor, Education commissioner and a teacher, his fondest memories are of teaching. It’s in his bones, he said.
"When I was commissioner, I’d leave my office about five, very tired, and teach some night classes here and not leave until about nine,” Turnbull said. “At that hour, I felt wonderful, not at all tired."
The reigning Calypso Monarch Patrick "Soljah" Farrell, a teacher and UVI student, brought a change of pace to the ceremony with his calypso "Look What We Come To," a sobering look at the territory’s ills: “What we’ve lost, what we were … guns everywhere, scared to go out at night."
Farrell said that he is a teacher and that he has hope, but as a Calypsonian it’s his job to tell what he sees.
Former professor Leary, who admitted it was an emotional moment for him, shared a few of his memories. "I’ll sum it up in an anecdote," he said. "A Donald Browne contacted me recently. He said he was on St. Croix, he remembered me as a student. We met for lunch and I didn’t really remember him, but he said he came to then CVI in the 70s after returning from Vietnam. He said he was a mess at the time, but the kindness shown by professor Marilyn Krigger, myself and others in the department ‘saved his life.’”
"That touched me," Leary said, "to be able to change someone’s life. It shows the spirit we had. Mr. Browne said he is now the dean of Rutgers University College of Engineering."
UVI stalwart Frank Mills, vice provost of Institutional Affairs, delivered closing remarks.
Speaking after the ceremony, Jones-Hendrickson elaborated on something one of the speakers had mentioned, that he had led a student protest in front of the sciences building. "Yes," Jones-Hendrickson said rather proudly. "I was a member of one of our soccer teams and, after a winning game, we had been fed corn beef hash. We came to President Wanlass to protest and left the hash on the campus. Then we went downtown and had KFC. And our menu was improved after that!"
President Hall showed off a handsome mural in the foyer of the building, which was painted by UVI art students under the direction of St. Croix art teacher Cynthia Hatfield. Hall said, "I told Simon (Jones-Hendrickson) that we needed something for this space. I figured we’d get a framed painting or a portrait. Imagine when I saw this!” he said, referring to the mural in muted blues and greens depicting the campus with a circular, moving motion.
“This is wonderful. It’s a symbol of where we are headed," Hall said.
