African & Caribbean Night – “Views from the Motherland”
– by Abdelkarim Khalid ’20
The Karibu Student Association of St. Olaf College held its annual African and Caribbean Night on the 29th of October 2016. The event was preceded by an African and Caribbean dinner at Stav Hall, which presented various dishes from Bermuda, Ethiopia, Jamaica and Sudan.
The cultural night included dances from several parts of Africa and the Caribbean, Mama Africa poetry, a colorful fashion show and the audience’s favorite, a comedy skit that was written, directed and performed by Karibu members. The skit told the story of a mischievous African teenager, Nahom and his sister, Medina who got sent by their parents to their grandma’s house in Africa instead of a summer trip to Cancun. Nahom and Medina got to indulge in African culture by seeing local dances, eating traditional food and visiting an African church that has taught them a lot about their rich African heritage.
The audience also enjoyed chinchin and plantain chips as snacks during the show.
Karibu is an organization created to strengthen the African and Caribbean community (and those interested in the culture) as well as to increase the awareness, understanding, and celebration of the various countries of the two regions and their unique cultures among all students of St. Olaf. The club holds its weekly meetings every Wednesday from 8 to 9 PM at The Lair.