On Saturday, November 17th, I attended African Night at the Ohio Union. It was a multicultural social event celebrating all of the different countries on the African continent and their respective cultures, foods, traditions, dances, religions, etc. I was able to not only embrace my own culture alongside fellow Ghanaian students at this event, but also embrace and subsequently learn about the cultures of other students on Ohio State’s campus as well, which is why I believe this event relates to the topic of international affairs. In an academic sense, as I mentioned earlier, I felt like I was able to learn more about the cultures outside of my own. There were Eritrean dance performances, a fashion show showcasing all the different cultural wears from the continent, and other fun activities. My personal favorite was a spoken word performance about police brutality and the current black experience in America. It was not only beautifully performed, but also gave insight into an important issue dominating both the news and our country’s politics. I was also encouraged to go outside of my comfort zone, which was a direct consequence of the vastly different cultures being represented that night, and I believe I grew as an individual because of it.

There were a few things at this event that I believe really matched some of my current, past, and future coursework in political science and beyond. At some point in the night, there was a discussion held on stage about Africa’s current political climate and overall corruption. As an international affairs specialization in my major, it is necessary to be able to speak on the politics of other nations, and discuss how they compare to our own. This performance gave me good insight into issues that are affecting people an ocean away, which will serve well in my chosen career path as an internationally minded individual. Next semester I will be taking a second year writing course in the comparative studies department focusing on American culture as seen from outside perspectives. African Night at the Ohio Union allowed me to share my experience as an African American living with native-born African parents in the United States, and laugh at some of the complexities that come with it as a result of the differences in culture. I’m looking forward to taking this comparative studies course next semester because I believe it will give me good insight into a topic I’m both interested in and slightly more familiar with as a result of African Night.

I attended African Night with my friend Sara last year and had such a great time, that we both decided to go again this year. We did the flag walk with our respective countries (Ghana and Sudan), danced to the different music, made new friends, and overall had a fantastic time. I’m looking forward to attending African Night again next year, and hopefully getting even more pictures to post on Instagram afterwards.

I’m using this event in order to fulfill my Non-IA requirement.