To welcome someone in the Twi dialect of Ashante, you would greet them with a friendly "Akwaaba," not coincidentally the name of a newly-revived African student group which held its first open meeting during a dinner discussion on Monday.
The organization, originally founded in 1996 as a "home away from home" for African students, is being reintroduced largely through the efforts of two freshmen, Amaka Megwalu '06, whose parents live in Nigeria and New York, and Daniel Scher '06, a resident of South Africa.
Megwalu said the group aims to bring Africans together for "solidarity and a place to feel at home," but also plans to involve non-Africans in discussions about issues affecting the continent.
She emphasized that the group is open to the entire University community. "All the people who are interested in African issues can come together and share ideas on different levels, [and] meet people who share their interests," she said.
Yemi Oyerinde, a Nigerian graduate student in the chemistry department, said smoother integration of African students into the Princeton community would be especially helpful.
As the only Nigerian student entering the grad school last year, she said she would have appreciated an outlet where issues specific to African students could be discussed and understood.
"It's just a whole different culture, more or less like a cultural clash coming here," she said.
Marilyn Agbeko '06, one of about 35 University community members present at Monday's discussion, said Akwaaba could address specifically African issues the Black Student Union might not cover.
She also said the group hopes to encourage more African students to come to the University. "This year ... it's just me from Ghana," she said.
Scher said the new group has received across-the-board support. "Everywhere we turned we've been encouraged," he said. "It appears there really is a genuine desire to learn more about Africa, to find out things about the continent, how we view ourselves . . . it's very encouraging when you meet with that kind of response."
Professor Charles Bwenge, a native of Tanzania specializing in the Swahili language, agreed that interest in African issues is increasing on campus.
By joining the ranks of other national universities promoting the study of African languages, the University has shown that it is working to expand cultural learning opportunities, he said. Bwenge said globalization was a primary reason for the increased interest in Africa and the rest of the world.
In the works for next fall is a film series in conjunction with the residential colleges, Megwalu said.
Although still in its formative stages, Scher said, the group plans to build its membership base, and would like to hold regular meetings "for as many people as possible."
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