African Week kicks off in Wilder

Events celebrate heritage and educate students

Prospectives looking for the library might just take a wrong turn this weekend and end up in Africa.

Beginning today, Wilder Main has been transformed into "The Essence of Africa-an African Market." The market is one of many events included in the second annual African Week, which began Monday.

The Week was kicked off with a variety of dancing, colorful costumes, films and rhythmic music, all sponsored by the African Student Alliance (ASA) and members of the African American Studies department.

Junior Ogbeyalu Onumah, a Nigerian student, was one of the event organizers. She said African Week was a culmination of the endeavors of many different coordinators.

"We have pulled together the talent as well as commitment from many of the African Students and staff on campus. I believe the effort has been fun as well as a learning and more connective experience," Onumah said.

Onumah's sister, first-year Nnenna Onumah, also coordinated the event. According to Nnenna Onumah, the College's African-American community lent much support to the struggle for a positive image of Africa and Africans.

"Many have a vague idea of Africans and their idea is not accurate. It's what they've seen on TV-people walking around without clothes, without shoes, living in trees. Here is an opportunity to educate people about Africans from our point of view," Nnenna said.

Monday and Tuesday started off the week-long event with a film series and discussion on Africa: a Triple Heritage, along with The Globalization of Africa. The films compared European countries with African countries on topics such as racism.

As African Week continued on Wednesday and Thursday, students practiced and performed the play The King Must Dance Naked, written by Nigerian Fred Agbeyegbe. The play was directed by junior Ijeoma Anusionwu and junior Nneka Emenyonu, who teach an ExCo course named after the play. The Oberlin Student Theater Association (OSTA) sponsored the performance.

The performance, set in Nigeria, features characters ranging from kings to drunkards, as well as plenty of rhythmic beating of drums. The majority of the performers were African American.

"The audience is an integral part of the play as the narrator interacts directly with them as she would in a traditional African setting," said Emenyonu.

Anusionwu and Emenyonu are both international students from Nigeria. Anusionwu says, "We chose an African play because none have been put up yet. Nneka and I went to the same high school and saw this play. We really enjoyed it when we saw it. It blew us away."

Anusionwu said many of the actors admitted they were largely unfamiliar with African history.

Ogbeyalu Onumah said the play was one of many educational opportunities students gained this week. "The play has been a great experience because they are learning some African words, sayings, expressions, songs and mannerisms," she said.

Awedoba, a Research Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, will speak tonight on the Western views of Africans and Africa in his lecture, titled "Through African Eyes."

Students will have the chance to gain more perspective when they attend the African Market, in which African vendors from local areas come to Wilder to make and sell goods.

The market also features several variety shows, along with an information table, poetry, a dance and vocal performance. There will also be a raffle drawing in which winners receive handmade jewelry and other crafts. Vendors will sell items such as handmade jewelry and artwork.was completely packed," she said.

Veselak said Sunny Kwong, Hunan's owner, is not leaving for monetary reasons. "During my time working there, I served many regulars and business was always steady," said Veselak.

Kwong was not available for comment.

The Hunan has been open at 111 E. Herrick Ave. in Wellington since 1991.

Kwong will join his business partner, who has run that restaurant since it opened, until he can open a new Hunan in North Olmstead later this year.