Today we took an impromptu field trip during my Postmodernism class. We decided to practice what we preach and go and listen to one of our Others, so we went to the Kennedy Center sponsored lecture by Senegalese author Aminata Sow Fall. It was the first lecture I'd ever attended that had subtitles - Senegal is one of the Francophone countries in Africa, and Madame Sow Fall gave her incredible lecture in French with an English translation on a power point. The title of the lecture was "Happiness is Possible in Africa," and it was a beautiful, optimistic lecture about the necessity for people to have dignity, to be self-reliant, to be aware of their own culture . . . the list went on and it was both enlightening and beautifully said. I think one of the things I'll miss the most about the university experience is the opportunity I have to interact with people who are so much smarter and more aware of the world than I am. It is truly a gift to have such people come to speak and help me to open my eyes.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Field Trip!
Today we took an impromptu field trip during my Postmodernism class. We decided to practice what we preach and go and listen to one of our Others, so we went to the Kennedy Center sponsored lecture by Senegalese author Aminata Sow Fall. It was the first lecture I'd ever attended that had subtitles - Senegal is one of the Francophone countries in Africa, and Madame Sow Fall gave her incredible lecture in French with an English translation on a power point. The title of the lecture was "Happiness is Possible in Africa," and it was a beautiful, optimistic lecture about the necessity for people to have dignity, to be self-reliant, to be aware of their own culture . . . the list went on and it was both enlightening and beautifully said. I think one of the things I'll miss the most about the university experience is the opportunity I have to interact with people who are so much smarter and more aware of the world than I am. It is truly a gift to have such people come to speak and help me to open my eyes.
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1 comment:
I am so excited that you got to do this but even more excited about what this woman talked about. It is so important not only to be aware of Africa its problems and its opportunities as well as the importance of giving aid with the understanding of preserving culture.
I love it too!
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