Africa Fest tries to 'dispel myths'

The Penn African Students Association hopes to "dispel the myths" about African culture during its four-day gala entitled Africa Fest '96, which begins today. Although the organization has held Africa Days featuring cultural shows for the past two years, this year's week-long festivities are the first of their kind, said PASA Co-President and Wharton senior Meha Patel. In keeping with the week's theme of "Dispelling the Myths," College junior Nkem Nwuneli, Africa Fest's chairperson, said PASA is seeking to educate students about both traditional and modern aspects of African culture, while dispelling falsehoods about the region. "This year we decided to tackle something bigger," Patel said. "As a result, we are not only having a cultural show but a speaker on campus, a roundtable discussion on Africans and business, vendors along Locust Walk, cultural workshops and a party." The festivities begin today with a speech by Professor Ali Mazrui, director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Mazrui, a specialist in African politics, is the author of more than 20 books and has produced a television series. Mazrui will address "issues that people don't tend to think about -- the political and economic aspects of developing nations," said PASA Co-President Shamis Abdi. Abdi, a College sophomore, said she hopes Africa Fest will be both educational and fun, explaining that Mazrui's speech and Friday's roundtable discussion will be informative, while the other events will be lighter entertainment. A party at the nightclub Third World will feature African music, including reggae and hip-hop, Friday night. The week's finale -- a cultural show on Saturday -- will include a traditional gumboot dance and fashion show. "The highlight of our Africa Fest is the culture night," said program coordinator Temi Okeowo. "This is the time for all our members to take part in rejoicing and enjoying out rich culture," said the Engineering junior. "We put on this production to share with others our richness." "We're doing things that people are interested in, but also educational," she added. Mazrui's lecture will take place at 8 p.m. tonight in the Annenberg School Theatre.