BEST WEEK EVER:

Another week, another batch of brilliant Vincy youth. Abigail Scott, Kairel Edwards, Summer Warrican, Christian Friday, Sharikah Rodney, Oleen Horne, Jeremiah Augustus, and Ranford Porter were a few of the students who – to varying degrees – turned in record performances for their schools in the recent CSEC exams.{{more}} Add to that a PhD in Law for 2008 National Scholar Jason Haynes, and a new batch of science and engineering whizzes from the Petrus Gumbs’ annual STEM Programme – including a 10-year-old Machado Joseph, who recreated the classic “Pac Man” videogame from scratch. Our future is bright!

Runner-up:

Catharsis. Confession. Exorcism. By whatever name you call it, people always say that letting out your anger is good for the soul. If so, Anatol Scott’s soul must still be basking in the afterglow of its Best Week Ever. Scott completely unburdened himself to the Searchlight, detailing a laundry list of real or imagined slights, juicy political gossip, and troubling anecdotes about the way Arnhim Eustace goes about his business as leader of the NDP. While Scott doesn’t have the influence or power to carry out his threat of bringing down Eustace, he certainly provided plenty of ammunition to the NDP’s foes. No doubt, Scott is suffering primarily from a bruised ego. But many of his charges, like those about Eustace’s poor leadership skills or his reliance on commess to shape his actions and policies, ring true to anyone who’s been following the leader’s behaviour over the last few years.

WORST WEEK EVER:

The Girls’ High School is our nation’s premier secondary school – no matter the gender involved. Each year, GHS takes the top 120 female performers from the recent CPEA exams to make up their incoming class. Imagine our surprise then, when we learned that somehow enrolment was secured this year for a young lady who placed 159th in the CPEA exam. Between that young lady and the final meritorious entrant were perhaps 44 other girls who had a greater claim on attending the GHS. Unfortunately, they did not have the clout or background that the parent of #159 had. If the Prime Minister’s parliamentary outburst against Senator Frederick is true, then it is a damning indictment against her usual sanctimonious accusations of cronyism and corruption in the Government. Whatever the case, the Prime Minister’s insistence that GHS now accommodate the other 44 girls is just atonement for the school’s leaders. GHS is not a private institution that can make up and rewrite the rules of admission. It is a government institution. Its well-deserved reputation for elite academics cannot allow it to foster naked elitism based on upper class connections, or worse.

Runner-up:

Jesus did NOT take the wheel last week. Instead, famous pastor and televangelist Errol Daniel steered himself into trouble with the law when he was allegedly charged with a traffic offence (either driving an unlicensed vehicle or driving without a valid permit – reports vary). However, in a miracle of near-biblical proportions, prosecutors refused to offer evidence against the goodly pastor when his case came up in court. Maybe his “streams of power” extend beyond the spiritual realm. Hopefully Pastor Daniel didn’t get any special treatment from the prosecutors, because as an esteemed minister of the Gospel, he should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one.

If I had a question in SVG Parliament

…I’d ask the Prime Minister how businesses, buildings and government offices keep managing to burn to the ground within walking distance of the Kings­town Fire Depart­ment. Didn’t he hire new fire-fighters and buy new fire engines earlier this year?

Media Watch

If a group makes a pilgrimage to Bali­ceaux, but nobody sees it, did it actually happen? Garifuna lightning rod Wellington Ramos allegedly made a spiritual voyage to the historic island with top NDP brass in tow. But they didn’t invite local press, and drove away the lone invited regional journalist with endless restrictions. The absence of the press meant that no photo or video of the supposed journey was published. It seems odd that a collection of attention addicts such as the team that set out for Baliceaux didn’t snap a selfie or two on the way. It’s also strange that none of our local news organizations saw fit to hop on a boat and follow the pilgrims to their destination. Wasn’t it newsworthy?