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Lauren Wimer Photographer
Ethnic studies major Inyeza Oni performs at the first-ever African Night,
held Friday evening in the EMU Ballroom.
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A standing-room-only crowd celebrated
African culture at Friday’s event
By Jonah Schrogin
Freelance Reporter
A packed EMU Ballroom audience clapped,
yelled, cheered and danced in support of the first
ever Africa Night on Friday evening.
The dinner and show, hosted by the African Stu
dent Association, was entitled "Soul of the Moth
erland."
Portland restaurant Horn of Africa catered a tra
ditional African dinner of luuku, or garlic-lemon
chicken; biddeena, or Ethiopian bread; and muta
bag, or African doughnut.
The performance opened with a fashion show.
Two or three people at a time walked in tune with
rhythmic music and colorful lights down the mid
dle of the Ballroom, wearing costumes from the
country they represented.
The 14 performance pieces included a symbolic
West African dance, poetry from Africa, flute play
ing, belly dancing, and a French rap called "I Got 5
On It" by Da Luniz.
"French rap is way cooler than American rap,"
freshman Dakota Witt said.
Senior Robert Miller said he liked the I Iabesha
dance even when there were technical difficulties.
"The music went off, and the students on stage
started improvising to the claps from the audi
ence," Miller said.
Performers and audience members danced to
gether on stage and celebrated the evening with a
unity dance.
"We exceeded expectations (about the audi
ence)," program coordinator I laben Woldu said.
Nearly 100 people had to stand around the
perimeter of the room because it was so full.
Woldu said ASA had to fundraise and find groups
to help pay the $5,000 cost of the show.
Sophomore and performer Deborah Ochieng
said the goal of Africa Night was to raise awareness
about African culture.
"Africa night is a night whereby different na
tions from Africa come together to demonstrate
and present in a nutshell what the African culture
is all about," Ochieng said. "To show the African
culture and keep the culture rolling."
Jonah Schrogin is a freelance reporter for the Emerald.
FUNDING
continued from page 1A
public sectors provides valuable ex
perience for anyone interested in
serving their community. She said
while it is not difficult to find peo
ple willing to work in the often low
paying field, a lot of turnover exists
because of financial and stress-relat
ed reasons.
"There are lots of people who
want to do this sort of work," she
said, adding that some people
working for the public, including
herself, choose to work in the pri
vate sector until they become finan
cially stable and then later return to
community work.
She said one of the most reward
ing aspects of working in the field
is observing the people who receive
help.
"I think that seeing the people
they serve makes an impression on
them for life," she said.
Along with the 11IV Alliance, the
Lane County Community and Eco
nomic Development Program, the
Rural Development Initiative and
the Oregon I Iomeless and Runaway
Youth Coalition all receive support
from students funded through the
grant, according to the release.
Byrd said she hopes to stay in the
public sector once she completes her
degree and plans to work with immi
grants and refugees, helping them to
find affordable housing and benefit
from economic development. After
meeting her husband, who is an im
migrant, while working for the Peace
Corps in Romania four years ago,
Byrd said she wants to focus on the
international community.
"I have this eye on the interna
tional world," she said.
Contact the higher education/
student life/student affairs reporter
atchelseaduncan@dailyemerald.com.
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