My friend who is going to Africa with me, Krista and I wanted to take a class that would help us prepare for our trip. The African Studies course description said we would spend the semester learning about African geography, culture and religion. Krista and I really wanted to take this class but we didn’t get accepted. Therefore, we had to force-add the class. In order to force-add the class the professor had to sign a form for us. We both emailed him and told him that we are going to Africa this summer and wanted to take this class to prepare. He signed the form and said, “don’t drop out of my class.” I was soon going to learn what he meant from that.
He was the type of professor that scared me to death, but at the same time I was so interested in what he was saying, I couldn’t get enough of the class. It was so unpredictable and not like any type of class I’ve ever had. The first day of class he encouraged everyone to drop out because he didn’t like teaching this many students. He broke all kinds of rules, did anything that society would consider inappropriate, and said things that would make your jaws drop.
The class was the complete opposite of what we expected. He talked about how the world is divided into the “west” and the “rest”. The “west” is the US, Europe, most civilized countries. The “rest” is Africa and other developing countries. He wants the West to stay completely out of Africa. He believes we are ruining Africa by disapproving of their customs and enforcing our culture onto theirs. He wants the Peace Corps out of Africa, the military, mission trips, study abroads, and even the Red Cross out of Africa. We didn’t talk about Africa very much, we talked about our country and many, many examples of when our country has killed innocent populations of people. I think he is concerned that if we go to Africa and help them learn to educate themselves and become independent, that they will become a threat to the US, and then since we have always attacked anything that becomes a threat to us, he is assuming we would attack Africa. Therefore, he is looking out for his native home (he’s from Mozambique) by encouraging the west to stay completely out of Africa. That is my own conclusion for why he would tell us all these theories that I had never heard before.
He is a very persuasive man. We watched a lot of movies and clips that are very convincing. Check out the zeigust movie at www.zeiguist.com. If nothing else, it makes you think. I am a very gullible person to begin with, and listening to him for almost 4 hours a week, he has almost brainwashed me into believing I’m doing this awful thing by going to Africa. We talked about a lot of other topics, and our class discussions got very heated. I loved this class because it made me think about my opinions and where I stand on issues. I could see both sides on multiple issues. After this class, I would always have lunch with a classmate and talk even more about our topic from class. Ultimately, I think that’s what our professor was teaching us… getting us all worked up to stimulate conversations and find out what we believed. However, if there is a horrible natural disaster or something awful happens in Africa, I don’t agree that its better for the American Red Cross to stay out and let them handle it. They are just helping to save lives and they mean well. So I did think some of what he said was a little unreasonable, but otherwise he has done a very good job of convincing me going to Africa is a bad idea. He will be a little voice in my head the entire month. He talked about how the “west” has animalized Africa by associating it with elephants, lions etc. Africa has some of the worlds most beautiful creatures, but to him it’s a bad thing. Words like jungle and tribes are western terms that we have attached to Africa. I could go on and on about all the things he talked about but I took notes on the last day of class, which were his broad conclusions/big ideas he wanted us to take from the class.
1. Stay out of Africa
2. West has disempowered Africa
3.12/13/14 million Africans killed by Europeans
4. Question everything that we believe is “reality”
5. Question your location in reality
6. Question identity ( no one was black until white people arrived)
7. Don’t trust any concentration of power (government, university, professors)
8. Don’t trust the rich
9. Disagree with the way Africa has been represented
10. Poverty is politically produced
11. Take your own defense, don’t rely on others
12. Terror is a method, not an identity
13. Question the notion of time
14. Culture of cannibalism (drawing resources from other cultures)
15. Culture of imperialism
16. One rule for the west, another for the rest
He did clarify himself one day and told us not to confuse his views as anti-American. He will get very upset if you say that to him. He doesn't support the war, but he supports and respects the soldiers over seas 100%. There were many VTCC in our class and he made sure to make that point clear.
He has gotten to me, and I often find myself rethinking a lot of things. I definitely analyze a lot more in life and society because of this class. (He hates the government, police, authority etc) But at the same time I was really confused because I had never heard this point of view before. My mom knows a person who is from Malawi and is thrilled that I am going to his country. Oprah went to Africa for Christmas Kindness and her leadership academy, which are western concepts. So I knew everyone didn’t think like him and I wanted to find out more.
I often asked people who took his class, and I was reassured that most people don’t share the same opinion as him. I met Jen who went on the same trip to Malawi last summer and also took his class. She has a minor in Africa Studies. Jen told me that most of the African Studies Department doesn’t agree with him either. He is a separatist and has strong opinions about everything. That made me feel A LOT better. I am very easily convinced and I feel so silly because I force added his class and told him I was going to Africa. That’s why he told me not to drop his class. He thought I would drop it because he was telling his students not to go to Africa. He figured I would drop it because he was telling me I was not doing a good thing. Well, I stuck with it and he gave me a B+.
I am glad I took the class because it will make me much more respectful of their culture and customs. He said the west often looks down upon the traditions and customs of the African culture and we think our way is better. I learned a lot from the class and have a better understanding of the entire world.
SCHOLARSHIPS
This trip obviously is going to be very expensive. I knew that going into it, but money wasn’t going to stop me from studying abroad. I also felt like this particular program gave me a better chance at receiving scholarships because I was truly doing a good thing by teaching and helping the people of Malawi. Most study abroad trips that involve a big city and lots of shopping. However, applying for scholarships takes a lot of time and effort. I did take parts of my application and put together an essay. I used versions of this essay to apply for 3 scholarships. The essay questions were almost the same, which made it easy for me. I got 2 out of the 3!!! The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences offered $1,000 to a student studying abroad. The Malawi program is under the CLAHS and I’m a communication major which is under CLAHS also. So I think that really helped me!!! This was my first scholarship I had ever gotten, so I was really thrilled!!! I even got to go to a very special banquet and was recognized. Part of the deal with accepting the scholarship is that I will have to write something about my trip and also have some type of display. I plan on doing that already, so it will be perfect!! I love scrapbooking!
The second scholarship I got was $300 from the Education Abroad program. $300 is the max amount they give for students studying over the summer. Again, I am really excited they picked me! I can’t wait to come back with amazing photo albums to share!!
The 3rd scholarships I applied for but didn’t get, was the study abroad scholarship offered through the Communication Department. It was $1,200 but since my trip didn’t focus on studying communication, I’m guessing they gave it to another student. That’s okay, I was still really grateful for the ones I did get.
I had planned on applying for more when I had free time in May. Haha I don’t have any free time! I’m hoping that once I make videos, photo albums and write essays about my trip that I can enter them in for scholarships.
He has gotten to me, and I often find myself rethinking a lot of things. I definitely analyze a lot more in life and society because of this class. (He hates the government, police, authority etc) But at the same time I was really confused because I had never heard this point of view before. My mom knows a person who is from Malawi and is thrilled that I am going to his country. Oprah went to Africa for Christmas Kindness and her leadership academy, which are western concepts. So I knew everyone didn’t think like him and I wanted to find out more.
I often asked people who took his class, and I was reassured that most people don’t share the same opinion as him. I met Jen who went on the same trip to Malawi last summer and also took his class. She has a minor in Africa Studies. Jen told me that most of the African Studies Department doesn’t agree with him either. He is a separatist and has strong opinions about everything. That made me feel A LOT better. I am very easily convinced and I feel so silly because I force added his class and told him I was going to Africa. That’s why he told me not to drop his class. He thought I would drop it because he was telling his students not to go to Africa. He figured I would drop it because he was telling me I was not doing a good thing. Well, I stuck with it and he gave me a B+.
I am glad I took the class because it will make me much more respectful of their culture and customs. He said the west often looks down upon the traditions and customs of the African culture and we think our way is better. I learned a lot from the class and have a better understanding of the entire world.
SCHOLARSHIPS
This trip obviously is going to be very expensive. I knew that going into it, but money wasn’t going to stop me from studying abroad. I also felt like this particular program gave me a better chance at receiving scholarships because I was truly doing a good thing by teaching and helping the people of Malawi. Most study abroad trips that involve a big city and lots of shopping. However, applying for scholarships takes a lot of time and effort. I did take parts of my application and put together an essay. I used versions of this essay to apply for 3 scholarships. The essay questions were almost the same, which made it easy for me. I got 2 out of the 3!!! The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences offered $1,000 to a student studying abroad. The Malawi program is under the CLAHS and I’m a communication major which is under CLAHS also. So I think that really helped me!!! This was my first scholarship I had ever gotten, so I was really thrilled!!! I even got to go to a very special banquet and was recognized. Part of the deal with accepting the scholarship is that I will have to write something about my trip and also have some type of display. I plan on doing that already, so it will be perfect!! I love scrapbooking!
The second scholarship I got was $300 from the Education Abroad program. $300 is the max amount they give for students studying over the summer. Again, I am really excited they picked me! I can’t wait to come back with amazing photo albums to share!!
The 3rd scholarships I applied for but didn’t get, was the study abroad scholarship offered through the Communication Department. It was $1,200 but since my trip didn’t focus on studying communication, I’m guessing they gave it to another student. That’s okay, I was still really grateful for the ones I did get.
I had planned on applying for more when I had free time in May. Haha I don’t have any free time! I’m hoping that once I make videos, photo albums and write essays about my trip that I can enter them in for scholarships.
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