In an explosion of color and music, African Awareness Week drew to a close Friday night with a fashion show displaying diverse African garb.
The three-hour fashion show was the keystone event of African Awareness Week. Three types of clothing from various African countries were displayed at the event: casual dress, head ties and formal wear.
A common theme of all the clothes was that they were handmade with bright, colorful fabrics. Most of the clothes came from current students or past members of the African Students Association. The student models were from Somalia, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and many other African countries.
In addition to the fashion show, people danced, the ASU African Drumming Ensemble performed and food was available throughout the show.
“It went really well … we were happy with the turnout at the fashion show; we were hoping it would be a big hit and it turned out to be a big hit,” said math and computer science sophomore Obafemi Oso, treasurer for the African Students Association.
The African Student Association has been setting up events similar to this one since its creation in 1991.
“The goal of the week is to let people know that there are Africans on campus and there is an organization they can associate with,” said biology senior Foyin Ani, president of the association. “The main goal is to raise awareness of Africa itself … there are a lot of positive sides to Africa.”
The week kicked off Monday with a showing of “Invictus,” a movie about former South African President Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Rugby World Championships in South Africa.
On Thursday, a four-person board answered questions and dispelled myths regarding Africa. Issues discussed included the living situations for people in some regions of the continent, how the American media often incorrectly portrays Africa and the various problems with education in some areas of the continent.
One of the members of the discussion board was John Ngaiske, a graduate student from Kenya, who on Monday will be defending his dissertation. If he succeeds, he will be the first person from his region in Kenya to receive a doctorate degree.
“There [is] a lot of progress in education, but there are also a lot of challenges,” Ngaiske said.
The organization has received a lot of feedback, Oso said, and they are already thinking of things that will make next year’s events better. There are more events in the future, including an event later in November.
“The goal of the African Students Association is to renew Africa’s presence on campus, educate people on Africa, set up a community, a cultural experience and a support system for students,” Oso said.
Reach the reporter at connor.radnovich@asu.edu
