SCALI Events 2009
SCALI Newsletter
"it was the collection of presentations as a whole rather than the success of any one that gave cultural nights its feel. Everyone began to realize that our teachers and the SCALI Staff brought to the program so much more than their knowledge of African languages, they also brought their cultural experiences and shared them with us by way of stories, songs, cooking lessons and proverbs, (SCALI Newsletter, 2009)"
Movies
Taking Root: the vision of Wangari Maathai (environmental, political and cultural doc.) http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/takingroot/film.html
Thunderbolt ‘Magun’ http://store.nigeriamovies.net/thm.html
Flame http://www.zimmedia.com/flame/
SCALI Picnic: at Hawk Island Park. http://www.ingham.org/PK/HI/himain.htm
The SCALI picnic was held on Friday 3rd a day before the 4th July. The day turned out to be perfect for the picnic, sunny with interlude of clouds and temperatures in the mid-70s, it was an outdoor intended environment. We had a countless diversity of food. We barbecued goat meat, hamburger, and hotdogs. We served falafel, tahini, mukimo, sadza, kachubari, lamb and cassava leaf, ofe egusi and na ji, and many many more. Afterwards there were many options; playing beach basketball, canoeing, board walking, nature trails or just stretching out on the grass. In this park there exists a diverse landscape from lawn type grass, sparse to dense meadows, dense woodland and a lake. We simply enjoyed
Cultural Night
SCALI Cultural Night is the peak of a semester's work. The students choose a theme that their presentation would characterize.This past SCALI 09, students presented cultural skits, songs and dances, social rites and greetings. All performed in the languages they have been learning. The performances were outstanding and revealed authenticity. The students were able to elicit diverse sentiments from the audience that would only be experienced from a SCALI program.
Arabic Cultural Festival- Dearborn Michigan
"The Dearborn Arab International Festival is a family centered cultural celebration. It features ethnic performances representing the diverse heritage. It offers amusements, live musical acts both local and international, 30 international food booths, coffee cup readings, henna, arts and crafts, a children's tent, artisans, Arab merchandise, and a giant old-fashioned Ferris wheel that overlooks East Dearborn" http://www.americanarab.com/festival
Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant- Ann arbor Michigan
"to Ethiopians, sharing food is a hallmark for creating and maintaining good relationships. According to Ethiopian culture, it is a belief that those who share and eat food from the same plate do not cheat one another and hence it is considered a way of promoting friendship and loyalty" http://www.bluenilemi.com/bluenile/10/content.htm
Soccer Games and Championship
"Some of the most fun-filled and action-packed events this year occurred in the field. Good times, great pictures, and outstanding goals were abundant" (SCALI Student Newsletter, 2009).
African Rites, Special Talents and Dancing
When a SCALI student Lanier Terence said that we will all learn and try out Gum Boot dance, nobody believed him. We were very interested but a little hesitant given the vigorousness. Step by step we started. Most of the fun stemmed from the many mismatched steps most of us did. Terence never got tired, we performed, we sweat, until we achieved some form of uniformity. At the end it paid off because we created great rhythms. Clapping and stamping our feet harmonized the dance and we did a splendid performance. It was physical, special talent, and rewarding.
SCALI Get Together Party
Students and Professors set a day to get to know one another outside classroom. It was an incredible evening where students got immersed in the diverse African culture. Students were coached to dancing African rhythms. There was plenty of African food. It was fun
SCALI Group Pictures
SCALI 2009 Class at Michigan State University
