In the African community and culture, tradition takes on many forms. Here at Creighton, the African Students Association will bring some traditions of its own to campus at the annual AFSA banquet later this month.
Arts & Sciences senior and president of AFSA Amal Hamdan said the banquet will showcase as many facets of African culture as possible.
“This is just our way of bringing Africa to Creighton,” Hamdan said.
The banquet will be held on April 21 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. in the Skutt Ballroom. There will be an after party (African-style) held afterwards from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Billy Blue’s Alumni Grill in the Harper Center. Tickets are being sold every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Skutt Student Center. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general audience. The after party is free for those who present their banquet tickets. Otherwise, it is $5.
“The banquet is really a time for us to connect with other student organizations and members of the African community to help us in our mission of portraying Africa in a comprehensive way,” Hamdan said.
The AFSA is an organization filled with African students (as well as students interested in African culture) that come together and plan events that expose the Creighton community to African culture. The banquet will teach students about African culture through cuisine, music, dance, fashion and folklore.
The theme of this year’s banquet, “Ubuntu,” is traditional African philosophy that roughly translates to “I am who I am because we are.” It is the essence of a human being based on the self-assurances that comes from knowing that we belong to a greater whole. This year, Micere Mugo, Ph.D., a renowned African activist, writer and academic, will present on the meaning of Ubuntu in a 21st century context.
Arts & Sciences senior and vice president of AFSA, Stephanie Egenti said the philosophy encourages love and compassion for all humans.
“We try to display how different cultures show how they
are a part of a greater community,” Egenti said. “Ubuntu stresses community and accountability for other people.”
The AFSA annual cultural banquet has come to be a tradition at Creighton. Last year, the Student Activities Office awarded the banquet “Undergraduate Event of the Year.”
“We want people to know that it’s our responsibility to take care of one another,” Egenti said.
AFSA seeks to educate its members and the campus on issues pertaining to Africa. Earlier in the year, it held a fundraiser to support the famine in Somalia. Another of AFSA’s goals is to showcase African culture through
events like the Taste of Africa food sale and the upcoming banquet.
“We want people to leave feeling that they’ve learned more about Africa than when they arrived at the banquet,” Hamdan said. “If we do that, we’ve successfully accomplished our goal.”