A/V: Pon di Ring Road!
Carnival in Jamaica first developed on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, brought north by homesick students from the southern Caribbean region and nurtured by students and staff and their families. It’s something clearly remembered by persons who grew up as Campus Kids – spending years and even decades connected to the rhythms of the university and the region.
For Simone Augier and her siblings, carnival was integral as mother Leila Augier was a reveller, at ground zero in Trinidad & Tobago as well as at Mona. She recalled carnival ‘Pon di Ring Road’ during a Campus Kids reunion session at the UWI Museum recently.
You can tell by the interaction that this is a group with long histories in common. Thanks to Simone and all the Campus Kids who shared their recollections, family stories and artifacts.