Throughout the week, the Elon African Society brings together various organizations on campus to showcase their connection and history with Africa and how it manifests today. Africa’s influence beats through many cultures around the world. It is therefore importnat to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. The events for the week are as follows:

International African Fair – Monday, April 13

McKinnon Hall (Moseley Center) – 5-7 p.m. 

An informational session that displays how various aspects of African culture have been featured and transformed around the world!  Join us for live drumming, food and an educational evening.   

Some organizations featured include World Percussion Ensemble, LASO, BCS, Asain Studies Club and the Global Education Center. 

Eating African Wisdom  – Tuesday, April 14 

Cooking Demonstration: Oaks Kitchen – 4:15-6 p.m.

Dinner & Discussion: Oak 212 – 6 p.m. 

Chef Kabui, a world renowned Kenyan chef talks to us about cooking sustainably – for our bodies, for the earth and for our minds. From his Food Academy in Kenya, to the importance of freeing our food in order to free ourselves, Chef Kabui is dishing out wisdom as delicious as his all organic meal. Space is limited, so please RSVP by emailing: africansociety@elon.edu. Indicate which portion(s) of the event you would like to partake in. 

This event is sponsored by SGA Fun Fund and African & African American Studies. 

AAASE Student Research Presentation – Wednesday, April 15 

Alamance 302B – 12-1:30 p.m.

Join the AAASE community for its third annual lunch and learn series. In discussions on Black Studies-related topics, authors will present their recently published work or work-in-progress. April’s featured authors are Elon seniors, Omolayo Ojo, Brenda Reavis and Chelsea McQueen who have conducted Black Studies-related research for at least one year with Elon mentors. Each student author will briefly present her work and will engage questions from the audience. Space is limited, so to register for this event, please follow this link: /eventsmgmt/events/eventtype.aspx?id=45

African Innovation Around the World – Thursday, April 16 

Global Commons Media Room – 6 p.m.

Many African economies are rising to the top of the world’s fastest emerging economies. With such innovation, what does this mean for African enterprises and African entrepreneurs? What does this mean for companies wanting to invest in Africa? How can African entrepreneurs in the U.S. benefit? These questions and more will be explored in depth.

Africa Night & After Party – Saturday, April 18 

McKinnon Hall – 6 p.m.

Africa Week culminates in what is known as Africa Night. This night is dedicated to showcasing the fashions, cultures, stories, music and food around the world that have been influenced in one way or the other by Africa. With the collaboration of various groups showcasing their connection to the African culture, it is a fun-filled night that showcases our similarities and celebrates our differences. The dress code is evening attire.

Some organizations participating include: LASO, Jason Aryeh’s Dance Class, Elon’s Finest, Gospel Choir’s Praise Team, and Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. 

The night is followed by an After Party at Tap House at 11 p.m.

South African Food – ALL WEEK 

Lakeside Dining Hall

Enjoy South African cuisine for Lunch & Dinner throughout the whole week! 

We hope to see you at several events thoughout the week. Please email africansociety@elon.edu for any questions. 

O∆K is the National Leadership Honor Society and its members distinguish themselves with high academic achievement and exemplary leadership across five phases of campus life, including athletics, the arts, communication, scholarship and community service.

An invitation to apply is extended each year to the top 33 percent of the junior and senior classes. Based on the criteria of diverse leadership experiences across three areas of campus life, demonstrated growth in at least one of these areas and overall dedication to their community and leadership responsibilities, the honor society chose 71 people to be inducted into its circle.

The spring initiation ceremony will be held Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 12:30 in Holt Chapel. The following students have been nominated:

Matthew Zimpelman

Megan Peden

Melanie Mourt

Melissa Kenealy

Meredith Berk

Meredith Stutz

Michelle Stocker

Morgan Drew

Morgan Goldstein

Natalie Brubaker

Nick Cook

Noah Sakin

Richard Segal

Robert Danis

Ryan Boudreau

Ryan Lasnick

Ryan Molinaro

Ryan Struble

Sarah Vaughan

Shakori Fletcher

Shannon Temlak

Sophia Koh

Taylor Wilhelm

Whitney Ballbach

The Elon African Society, Elon Partners in International Development, and the Tanzania & Ethiopia Winter Term Program (formerly the Ghana History Winter Term program), have partnered together to put on Elon’s Ebola Education Week Nov. 11-14. We hope to educate the campus about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa by providing avenues in which to engage with the topic and also participate in helping to eradicate it once more. On Thursday, Nov. 13 at 4:30 p.m. in the Media Room on the first first floor of the Global Commons, we will be holding: “Just the Facts: A Panel Discussion on Ebola.” Our panelists are as follows: 

• Dr. Ginette Archinal – a medical doctor and director at the university’s Health Center. She has been closely following the Ebola outbreak and is a supporter of Doctors Without Borders 
• Aunchalee Palmquist – a professor of medical anthropology at Elon who has teaches about Ebola in her medical anthropology course
• Brian Digre – a professor of history and West African studies, Dr. Digre is familiar with the past outbreaks of Ebola and has lead the Elon Winter Term program to Ghana for the past 14 years – until this year when his program had to be moved to East Africa due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. 

Throughout the week, we will be at the Moseley tables from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., selling baked goods for donations to Doctors Without Borders, who are on the forefront of fighting Ebola in the 3 West African states that currently have cases of Ebola: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

We have created a fundraising page for Doctors without Borders as well. So come buy baked good from our table or . Immediately following our panel, students are invited to join us for a coffee klatch organized by the Intellectual Climate working group to continue the discussion and share their thoughts and concerns about the Ebola outbreak. If you have any questions about week, please email: Dr. Digre (digreb@elon.edu) or Omolayo Ojo (oojo@elon.edu).  Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the Moseley table and our panel discussion. 

On Tuesday, May 13, the last day of classes, will be #bringbackourgirls day at Elon. The Elon African Society wants the Elon community to become aware of, learn more about and reflect on these atrocious events. We picked the last day of school because as people are finishing up their classes, it’s a good time for them to consider how these girls have been targeted simply because they dared to get an education. 

1. Wear red to show your support. 

2. Come find us at College Coffee and a Moseley table to learn more, get your picture taken in support, voice your opinions and sign the petition. 

3. Join us at Speaker’s Corner from 4-6 p.m. to sign the petition and engage in further conversations about education, human rights and terrorism, among others. 

Our goal is raise awareness, promote discussion of this topic, and encourage people to take action. We hope to get over 234 people at Elon to sign the petition! 

1. Change your profile picture to the one above, which is being used around the world. 

2. Learn more and join the #bringbackourgirls movement on and . 

3. Keep yourself updated on news sources and engage your peers in coversations about this. 

4. Go ahead and sign the petitions. One is addressed to and the other is addressed to

Restavek Freedom Foundation Vice President Christine Buchholz will be talking about the sociocultural, historical-political and legal aspects of the restavek system at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 in Moseley 215.

The Periclean Class of 2015 is focused on human trafficking, specifically a form of modern slavery in Haiti known as restavek. Under the restavek system, children from poor, often rural families are sent to live with urban families with the promise of shelter and education. However, what usually happens is that the child is treated as a domestic servant and is often physically, verbally and sexually abused. Restavek is technically illegal in Haiti, but it is still culturally acceptable.

The Restavek Freedom Foundation is an Haitian organization dedicated to the prevention of restavek, as well as caring for former restavek children.

This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn about a complex social system where cultural practices and legality are in direct conflict, and we would like to extend an invitation to all interested individuals to be a part of the discussion. 

Click here to find out more about the .

Food will be provided, and Dr. Angela Owusu-Ansah from Ghana, Maria Restuccio who studied abroad in Senegal, and Kanree Wright from Liberia will share their experiences with the entire group and the rest of the time will be left for mingling.

If you are a student, staff or faculty member who has travelled abroad to Africa, hope to go some day, are an African student/staff/faculty or simply interested, we would love to have you come and share your experiences and learn from those of others!