Dami Olapa came to the University of Idaho two years ago from Nigeria, and said she still learns new things about Africa during Africa Night.
The African Students Association (ASA) will hold the event from 5-8 p.m. in the Vandal Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center. Olapa is vice president of ASA and said it will be an evening of dancing, singing, poetry, fashion and delicious food. Performers invite the audience up on stage for pictures, and Olapa said many people take up the offer.
“Last time I had to leave the stage because there wasn’t space,” Olapa said. “People understand the importance of the event so like, they want to enjoy it to the fullest.”
Tickets are available around campus, online and will be sold at the door, but not everyone may make it in.
“I think every year we reach full capacity,” said Dorothy Apai, communications chair for ASA. “I feel bad because not everybody can enjoy that experience, but it makes me feel really good knowing everyone wants to.”
Apai said another member of ASA summed up the event best.
“It’s like a $10 flight to Africa basically,” Apai said. “Because there’s authentic food made from the people in those regions. There’s performances from different people in some regions So it’s that authentic experience — in a ballroom, I guess.”
The evening will begin with dancing, singing and poetry performances, mostly done by ASA members, Apai said. There will be a break for dinner while some lighter, perhaps interactive, performances take place and Apai said the penultimate event is the fashion show, which will display traditional and modern dress from many African countries. At the end, attendees are invited on stage to dance with performers.
The food from many different countries is a major draw for people, and Apai said they almost always run out. The group tried to get a surplus of food this year, but people still enjoy the event without it, Olapa said.
“Most of the time we run out of food and people don’t get to do that, but they still stay and watch the performances and show up next year,” Olapa said.
The evening is a great way to learn about culture in Africa, and Apai said they didn’t want it to feel like a lecture
“What we did was try to find a way to educate everyone through jokes or the performances,” Apai said. “We try to get food from a lot of different regions, that way you’re learning about it without sitting there in class and listening to that. It’s more personal.”
Apai encouraged students to spend three hours out of their comfort zone and enjoy the evening learning about a different culture. She said she looks forward to seeing how the night goes.
“When you go to events you notice the things that people enjoy the most — the dances, the food — and like, why not?” Apais said. “That’s the good things about our culture, so why not showcase that?”
Jack Olson can be reached at [email protected]