Africa Night 2008 welcomes community on Jan. 26

The African students of Idaho State University invite the whole community to share in their fun and culture. But Africa Night also has a more serious side.

“Our theme this year is to recognize the achievements and successes of all African alums across the United States. and will honor them on Jan. 26,” said ISU African Student Association president Moses Okeyo. “Many of our African alumni are achieving at the highest possible levels using the education they received from ISU, many are pharmacists, professors, dentists, accomplished researchers and medical school students.”

Africa Night, one of the oldest and arguably, the most popular international events in Pocatello, will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Pond Student Union Building Ballroom. Tickets will be sold at the PSUB and at the door.  Ticket prices are $5 for ISU students, $7 for ISU faculty and staff and $8 for the general public. The event is co-sponsored by the ISU Student Activity Board.

According to Stephanie Benao, ASA director of media relations, “Our guests will enjoy great music, food and company.  We’re doing everything to pull off the great time that people expect. This year we will meet and exceed all expectations.”

The special entertainment will be the music group “United Roots,” based in Boise. The band consists of members from Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, and Idaho. They play an irresistible blend of Afro-pop and reggae. There will also be a fashion show and other events, Benao said.

“Our visitors will not leave hungry! Most African homesteads frown upon sending visitors home hungry,” Benao said. “The food, popular among guests in previous years, will be better than ever, for the first time featuring delicious dishes from Ethiopia as well many other areas.”

The African Students Association is a group of students from Africa and the United States who work to promote awareness of the realities in Africa and to strengthen the diversity of the ISU community.

“It’s great to meet so many wonderful students and offer a little support for their hard work,” commented ASA advisor and professor of mass communication John Couper. “Despite all the extra obstacles they face, they add a great deal to their academic programs and the United States.”  

Despite well-publicized problems and conflicts on the continent, Africa is full of success stories and remarkable people and projects, like the W.I.N. program in Malawi that was featured during the World AIDS Day Dec. 1 festivities.